I really liked the idea of a New Year's Word, though. Last year my word was BELIEVE.
About half way into the year I felt a new word impressing itself upon me. Deny. Not the most cheerful of words. Definitely not one you'd find showcased upon someone's wall in beautiful vinyl letters. But I knew God wanted me to meditate upon it.
One way in which my faith became action was in denying myself too much food. I had needed to lose 10 lbs. for quite sometime, well ever since I had my last baby, which was in June of 2005. Never seemed to be able to shake those 10 lbs. that settled right around my middle. Bleh. Anyway, slowly but surely, by denying myself more food than my body needed, I had lost those 10 lbs. by the first of December (2012). Yea!
In October of last year, I was able to go on my first women's retreat. Each lady drew a random word (folded up so you couldn't see it) upon arriving. Mine - Quietness. I sort of laughed to myself and joked with a couple of friends and thought, Really, my word is quietness? When I'm about to be around a bunch of women for the first time in ages, my word of all words is quietness??
I am already an overall quiet person who loves quiet and makes time for quiet every single day. I really don't like noise, people. Why would I need to focus on the word quietness?
What's funny, too, is that my phone stopped having a signal once we arrived on the camp's property. I thought it was because we were out "in the middle of nowhere" but everyone else's phone worked. Hmmm. Well, not having a phone signal definitely helped with the whole quietness thing.
It wasn't until Saturday during time spent alone with God that I truly began to hear God's voice about His word chosen for me. Surrounded by His beautiful creation, in the quiet of nature, I heard things that I don't normally take the time to hear. The way the wind sounds as it trickles through rustling, autumn leaves. The chirrups of unfamiliar insects. The buzzing of curious bees.
As I read my verses having to do with Quietness, I began to realize what God was trying to tell me. I need quietness within the deepest part of my soul. I need quietness of spirit. Having quietness on the outside doesn't mean there's true quietness on the inside. My mind has a tendency to have a difficult time shutting off. Quietness, being alone with God undisturbed, is essential to my spiritual health.
Guess what? After that quiet time, my phone's signal came back. :)
There's so much more I could say about Quietness, but I guess I need to move on to my new word for 2013 . . .
Over the past few years God has really humbled me. It was a rough road for our family during the economic crisis. I have written plenty about it in other posts, so I won't go into it here. But, as we continue to recover and get back on our feet, I want to remain humble.
Being humble definitely goes against my natural instincts, but God resists the proud. I don't want Him to resist me. May I live my life in humility.
"All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another because, 'God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.' Humble yourselves, therefore under God's mighty hand, that He may lift you up in due time." ~ 1 Peter 5:5b-6
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