An Unexpected Turn
December 6, 2010
In a neurotic sort of way, I desire everything to go according to plan. Anytime there is a deviation even in the slightest bit, I tend to freak out. My worst fear is to hear a knock at the front door from a friend just stopping by to say hello not because our house is a wreck, but because it isnt completely spotless and looks like a museum. The same worry comes over me when I get lost, a random bill appears in the mail or my heater breaks when the temperature is suppose to be below freezing.http://ceoec.ru/
I dont deal well with the unexpected, which is funny considering Im part of the My One Word project. Just like me, you probably choose your word at the beginning of the year with a picture of how it was going to transform your character. Take patience for instance. You thought using this word as your lens to view the world would help you while stuck in traffic, dealing with a difficult coworker or enduring a tantrum by your child.
This did occur, but then your word began to do something different, something that was off your radar. God used patience in ways you would never have imagined. The outcome you were expecting as a result of your word was far less than the transformation God had in mind.
Patience no longer became about making your world a little easier to deal with. Instead, this word shaped the way you viewed situations which one appeared hopeless a lost job, a sick relative, a broken relationship, even victory over a personal struggle. Patience was now interconnected with hope, persistence and fortitude.
What began as a quest to become better equipped at handling inconveniences, ended up becoming a way of seeing situations differently and exposing whom you trust when faced with uncertainty. Even in the midst of all this, you noticed gaps in your character and things you wish you could change. Yet, you also saw how your word allowed change to occur in areas that you had no clue you needed.
It provided a way for you to address the things you where unaware of or largely ignored. Now, dont ignore this tension. Some of you have begun to contemplate what your One Word will be for the upcoming year. You want to pick a word that will make up for the gaps you discovered in 2010.
Your word is not some promise you will keep for a year to be better. The intent of your word is that it will become a part of you from here on out. Your next word will spring forth from the places where you feel you left off from your first. Each word you choose builds upon each other as Gods heart becomes embedded in your character. So, it appears I was wrong; sometimes the unexpected can be a good thing and bring change you would never have experienced otherwise.
This year I took your challenge. My word: OBEY
Honestly, I had no idea how much power stood lurking behind that small word. I did just as you said, I posted my word all over, I prayed over it, I studied it’s meaning and I went the extra step of applying to my life.
At the beginning of this year I was working a part time job on the weekends so I was unable to attend church on a regular basis my attendance was occasional at best.
Now, after apply that word into my life, I stepped out on faith, quitting my weekend job. I not only attend church regularly I am a Sunday School teacher, Awana worker, sing in the choir and the Women’s Ministry Director! Yes, you read that right! That one small word helped me open the door of obedience so that God’s presence could flood my life with His wonderful grace!!!!
Thank you
AWESOME website…. thinking of my word.
My word for 2011 is love because Jesus said this is the greatest commandment. I want to love people the way Jesus loves them. And I want to love Jesus with all my heart, soul, mind. I pray He will teach me what that truly means because I am afraid that most of us don’t really know the true meaning of that.
Our word for 2010 was FAMILY! As a mother of 4 children and my husband and I working different schedules, I wanted to place the importance in family. In addition, I made a challenge to my family to set aside a weekend a month to get away for family time. At the time, I was somewhat reluctant that we would be able to accomplish our challenge, but wrote it on the board in our kitchen and the goal for each month. In January I found a wood trinket carved with the word family and placed it by the front door and the bottom of the stairway to remind us of our 1 word every time we walked by it! Amazingly every month we found somewhere to go to for “family” time. In May, we went to San Diego and when we got back one of my teenage sons began to hang out and eventually stay over every night. As time passed we found out that he was in foster care. All he ever wanted was to be part of a family and he loved spending time with ours. Every night he would say “thanks for letting me stay”. By the time August rolled around I knew what God was preparing my heart for. My husband and I prayed about it and we agreed that we needed to bring him into our family as much as he wanted to be part of a family. In mid August we went before the judge and requested that he would be released from DSS custody into our care and we would become his legal guardians. Although it was very rare, the judge approved and the case workers were stunned. Even asking the judge if there was paperwork for this? The whole family was present in the court room and we high fived and cried. My younger daughter annouced that “the judge said yes, right? He gets to come home and stay with us!”
I knew that in an instant the word “FAMILY” was chosen for us and we simply followed God’s plan for our life. We continued to travel each month with our new son and our family is stronger! We look foward to choosing our word for next year! Who could imagine that ONE WORD could change your life and impact so many? My advice is to prepare yourself and if your word is the focus of this new year, God will move mountains; He certainly did for me! Now I am a mother of 5!