2020 Word of the Year

Lately, I’ve been thinking and praying about my “Word of the Year”. I used to think having a word for the year was a pretty common thing. However, the more I talk to people about it, the more I am realizing most people have never heard of the concept. 

In short, you choose a word or two to focus on throughout the year. Maybe it’s something you want to learn, or a mantra you need to regularly remind yourself of. 

In the past, I found the entire concept ridiculous. How in the world could you possibly pick a word to define your year? I honestly thought it was kinda dumb. I sure was naive. 

At the end of 2018, a friend asked me if I was picking a word for 2019. Being in my previous state of mind, I replied I never really had so probably wouldn’t this year either. However, our brief conversation got me thinking more about it. I felt like God was telling me, “Without knowing it, you’ve had a word this entire year. It’s Patience.” With that, I was given the vision of a little seedling being planted into the soil. There it was, nestled into the soil, and  told to be patient. As I looked back at 2018, I realized we had had a year of learning patience. Several house projects had been stalled to a standstill. We were hoping to grow our family by another little one, and suffered two miscarriages. In addition, we had three toddlers at home, and if that isn’t a test of your patience, I don’t know what is. 

Well, as I was reminiscing on the year, my little vision of a seed grew into a seedling. And I knew my word for 2019 was, grow. 

2019 was a stretching year for sure. Our little homestead was grown as our delayed house projects were completed. We became pregnant and gave birth to our fourth child.d I was able to be a part of several new ventures, programs, and events started at our church. My personal role and responsibilities at church were constantly changing, and thus I was being forced to grow and adapt. (Guys, I started to do announcements at church. Every sunday! Now, I’m not a public speaker. Not that I would qualify doing church announcement in front of a hundred people really public speaking. However, I still can’t do them by myself, for the sole reason of, I can’t handle everyone looking at me while I’m talking! So, I do it with another person, and it all works out just fine! But let me tell you this, when I started, I practiced what I was going to say, for my fifteen second announcement, for DAYS ahead of time. I practiced in the shower, in the car, in my head. I was terrified! Now, most weeks, I get up there knowing the details, but winging the execution. (I’m not sure if it’s for the better or worse, but it is what it is.)) All this to say, my family has grown. Our home has grown. I have grown. 

Alas, we are at the beginning of another year. As I’m older and wiser, I accepted this whole “Word of the Year” thing, and was eager to find my word for 2020. After taking online quizzes, talking to people, and working through a friend’s really good notes on the subject, I had an idea. A concept in my head, but I couldn’t quite get it down to one, or even two words. It was more of a feeling. I felt like a lot of my responsibilities had shifted. Not in a bad way, but in releasing me of them. (Of course, this tormented me for awhile, but that’s for another post, another day.) I sensed something big was coming down the pipeline for me, but I didn’t know what it was. I was feeling as if I was in a transitioning period and simply waiting.

I kept getting the impression that I needed to be content with my stage in life. 

To stop trying to look forward to what was next. 

Stop wishing my kids were a bit older. 

Stop planning for the next season. 

Stop thinking, “I just need to get through the next event, the next project, the next phase.”I needed to stop it all. To simply embrace where I was, and live in the moment. 

I needed to be still. 

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It was a friday afternoon, sometime in earlyish January. I was watching friends’ instagram stories when I noticed someone had shared a poem. I couldn’t tell you what it was about, but somewhere buried in the lines, my word stood out to me. Still. And I knew that was it. Still would be my word for 2020. In the few short weeks since I have chosen it, I’ve already learned how broad the term is. 

I am to STILL grow. I am reading and listening to books as fast as I can. I’m searching out a mentor, and trying to challenge myself in new ways.

I should STILL fill my current and various roles. I can not simply quit my responsibilities and commitments, However, I feel like the big lesson I need to learn this year, is to BE STILL.

I need to be still, for all the reasons listed above. To listen for whatever it is that might be coming down the road. To take a season of rest. To prepare for what comes next. To, for this moment, simply be….still.

Thank you GLDN.com, for making my word ring for this year! I love that it will serve as a daily reminder of what I need to be focusing on.