Dwell. Execute. Believe. Poise. Balance. Intentional. Faithful. These are just a few of the "one words" that I have heard in the last few days. People choosing one word to characterize the over arching goal for life and character development though their new year.
It always amazes me what happens when, during a season of life, we thoughtfully select a word to be the scaffolding for the life we build during that time. For instance, late last summer and through the end of the year, I experienced some of the stormiest weather spiritually and emotionally I have known. Besides all the normal challenges of busy ministry life, helping care for an elderly father, and too many side jobs to mention, we were opening a multi site/adopting a church. A week before our opener, I had ankle surgery which grounded me indefinitely, and a few days after the surgery, an emotional earthquake spiked my emotional Richter scale. My beloved sister, my best friend for my entire life, died suddenly without warning. Her memorial service was the same Sunday we opened our new church. I was physically, emotionally, and spiritually disabled. I generally self soothe with activity. Post-surgery, I could do none. A much smaller pain, but pain nonetheless, occurred the week after Jeannie's service. We had to put our little furry friend Spike to sleep. He had been our pet and companion for 15 years.
I had been anticipating vacation all summer. But when it was time to go to the beach, so close to my surgery and just the weekend after Jeannie's death, I didn't want to go. I felt completely battered by the winds and waves of life. I am typically a very motivated person, and having absolutely nothing that I anticipated was strange and alien to me. It seemed I had experienced numerous losses, and the me I knew was one of them.
My word in this time period was "tethered". To tether means to connect a movable object to a stable, unmovable object, restricting movement to protect or make productive. I wanted to be tethered to God so I could live wisely and productively. In this season of life I was enabled to see what God was doing in my world on my behalf, and my word took on a whole new dimension to me.
I was staring one day on vacation at the beach, rather mindlessly considering docked boats bob and bump up and down in the choppy water. But no one was worried – the boats weren't going anywhere. They were tethered to the dock. They wouldn't get lost. They were connected to the dock, and the dock supports ran deep and sturdy.
Jesus spoke tenderly to my heart. I saw myself in a new way. I was one of those boats. The waters were choppy. I was in the middle of the storm. But I had no cause to worry. I would not accidentally get lost. I would bob up and down in the storm, I might become nauseous and seasick with the intensity of the storm, but I would certainly not get lost. I was tethered to the original immovable Force. My connection to him was protecting me, and out of this experience would come great productivity. I didn't have the energy to hold on, but I didn't need to. Before the storm began, I was tethered to Jesus, the Storm Walker. Even the winds and the waves obey him. My one word allowed me to rest in peace and safety during the storm. Of course I still had pain. But I didn't worry anymore. I wouldn't be lost.
One word gave me focus in a way I could have not imagined in the midst of my deepest pain. What's your one word? Focus on Jesus developing you in that direction. You'll be surprised what he does.
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