Have you heard of the 'one word 365' concept?
It's been out there for awhile. there is a website, and a 'tribe' you can join, and a way to NOT make resolutions, but just still have a new focus.
i didn't really formally plan to take part in this...but i just took 12 days off, and tried to listen a bit to God. i had gotten this vision/connection to an image of MOUNTAINS awhile back, so i started to think about that picture. i like mountains, and the concept of mountains, but of course i would prefer not to climb too many mountains. i'm a plains girl, after all.
then i got a word when i was thinking about mountains.
TRUST.
yikes! trust and mountains? that sounds hard?! that sounds like trouble! that does NOT sound like my 'easy' life is going to continue! trusting God means something bad must be going to happen! almost immediately, my lovely vision of pretty mountains became a scary vision of an uncomfortable journey.
this is where, when combined with the 'trust' word, my attitude started to shift. i started to think about how much i LOVE new things. really love them. i love ideas. i love new paths that i have never been on before. i love new experiences, and images, and people. rather than having an immediate reaction of anxiety and freaking out, i believe God wants to give me an attitude of readiness, of peace, and of joy for what is ahead. he wants to paint a new picture of what it is to TRUST as i live my life journey.
one of the sources of encouragement that i came upon was from Oswald Chambers. the scripture above from Hebrews was the source of the message. he mentions that God will NEVER completely tell you what He is going to do, but He REVEALS to you what He is doing. only when we 'go out' in complete surrender to Him, can we truly enjoy the process of walking with God. because we know we have a wonderful inheritance in Heaven, but we can also have as much confidence in the journey of getting there. it just takes....trust.
this whole concept strikes me strongly with where i am in life. for the last few years, i have been waiting for God to drop an 'answer' to what my life purpose is...mostly through some career direction which - to be honest - has never developed. however, if i look back, God has REVEALED to me many things during this time period. the process itself, if i were not looking for some magic SOLUTION, has been good. i believe that i so much more easily rest in the idea of a future moment than a present moment. i so easily drift into living for the future, instead of for right. now. today. i think it's because i lack trust that the journey, and TODAY are in God's hands, as much as my inheritance and tomorrow.
also, i have been listening to Graham Cooke, who talks about choosing your approach to living. choosing your path based on intimacy with God, and with the joy of knowing that He and His ways are ALWAYS good. and choosing to be ready for a 'new thing' that God is doing. which happens every day. all day long.
it's going to take a change of mindset. i'm going to need some help. but i have a good feeling. i have peace. i have a feeling it's time to learn about TRUST, and i'm glad that i'm going to put my trust into the one person worthy of the word. i may even be ready to see things from a new vista, if those mountains are really as real as i think they are :)
happy new year, blog friends! do you have a 'word' that you are thinking about?
