One Word for 2014

I had no intention of doing this…none whatsoever.  I’ve seen the idea floating around for a while now, on blogs and Pinterest, but it never appealed to me. Instead, on December 31 I found myself jotting down a few ideas concerning the new year. I listed some goals and desires, various thoughts about what I’d like to concentrate on this year. But nothing was coming together, until…

The morning of January 1st, as I lay pondering the newly arrived year and breathing random thoughts to the Lord, tears started to flow, frustrations began to surface, and with trepidation and hesitation I found myself whispering,

“Can I just be honest with you, God?”

Suddenly, it resounded in my ears, creating movement in seemingly sequestered recesses of my heart…the word HONEST.  It came with invitation in hand, beckoning me to follow what seemed like a treacherous path, a very slippery slope, one I have never dared to walk.  And yet, at the same time, it felt a wee bit like…freedom.

So, I’m trusting God can handle it and that it won’t send me spiraling into negativity. There are scriptures flooding my mind that seem to contradict…ones I’ve lived for over thirty-seven years as a Christian.  But, there’s these other thoughts too.  Thoughts of David, Asaph, Elijah, Jonah, Mary and Martha…all who had questions they were bold enough, HONEST enough, to pour out to the Lord.  And yes, He handled it.

I know…it seems ludicrous.  Do I think He doesn’t know what I’m thinking and feeling anyway?  I know it…in my head.  But this feels deeper than that.  There’s something going on in my heart concerning this and I’m going for it, looking to be honest not only with God but with myself too. Because sometimes, to be HONEST, I don’t know what I want or where I’m headed.  I’m trusting Him in this. We’ll see where it leads. We’ll see where He leads.

Update: Go here to read my observations 50 days later,  here 100 days later, and here’s my year end summary…

This year was my first for choosing one word to focus on as opposed to making the famed and failure prone list of resolutions. I did make lists of things I wanted to accomplish and do this year, but unlike the usual nature of resolutions, they weren’t change oriented. I reserved that distinction for my One Word. It honestly made a difference.

When you think about it there are usually only a few things, not a whole list of things that are hindering, haunting, or holding us back. I’m finding that focusing on just one…consistently, for a full year, can bring unexpected revelation and lasting change. I say lasting change because after nearly an entire year of constant, committed attention to one single word, I daresay I will take it into succeeding years without any forethought whatsoever. I’ve seen it occur even before the year’s end. As the days passed and my attention waned, my word would nevertheless pop into the forefront of my mind, announcing itself, nudging me with a reminder in any and every situation where honesty was needed to proceed accordingly and make necessary adjustments, creating new habit patterns and bringing more and more freedom. I truly believe it’s one unexpected benefit of the One Word approach… change that endures.

The “Honest” photo is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic License.  It is attributed to Marc Falardeau and was modified. The original version can be found here.