Hello 2020.
Is there anyone out there who isn’t encouraged by the fresh start that comes on January 1? Anyone?
I can’t imagine.
No matter how last year went for you, the idea of a fresh start is exhilarating. It’s not only a second chance, it’s a third chance, a fourth chance and so on. Last year in June, I heard a speaker reference making a half-years resolution. And it made me think of just how much we really do NEED to hit reset every so often.
Every year. Every month even. Every minute of everyday if we’re truly honest with ourselves.
I see so much of Jesus in a new year. I see a mirror of the redemption He gives us when he forgives us and washes us up clean. I see a mirror of hope as we look forward to newness of life. And I see a page turning from an old life to a new calling.
2019 brought a new calling for me. New energy and new awareness. And looking back over the year, I’m thankful. I’m no longer the same person I was 365 days ago and I hope that in the same way, I’ll see noticeable change next year on this date.
My word for 2019 was “anticipate”. I came up with it and wrote a dreamy sounding post about it last January (read it here) and honestly, I kinda forgot about it. And yet, I firmly believe that this word permeated deeply into my soul, although subconsciously. The exercise isn’t complete until I look back on the year and figure out a different word. A word that’s an actual summary of the year. I start the year with a word and then look back and see how God has changed it and made it better.
A modeling of the clay that I offered up to the Lord that He shaped into something else.
So on January 1, I offered up the word anticipate. And he molded it and shaped it. He worked in ways that I wouldn’t have chosen but that I could never walk away from. When He moves, I want to move too. When he molds, I want to be the clay that comes into shape. When he whittles down, I want to be able to withstand. I don’t want to do this life on my own.
The word that pops out at me so brilliantly when I look back on 2019 is actually two words “awake and wait”.
I couldn’t believe it when I looked back and remembered my January word. He took my offering of “anticipate” and turned it into “awake and wait”. These words are not the same in any way shape or form, but I truly believe that he prepared my heart with “anticipate” because He had a year of waking up and waiting in mind for me. Awake. And then. Wait. Wait for answers. Wait for truth. Wait for healing. Wait.
2019 is the year of awakening and then waiting for me.
There was absolutely moving. Without a doubt. But there were so many moments of waking up. Waking up my soul. Waking up my body. Waking up my perspective.
And then once awake...now wait.
These two words combined together make me feel as if I’m standing on the edge about to jump. About to make a move that might be scary.
It’s January 2 and I don’t have my word for 2020 picked out. But maybe that’s by design as I learn to wait. And as I learn that before I can move, sometimes I need to awaken first.