It’s such a simple word, isn’t it? According to Miriam-Webster, the word “be” is usually
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“used to indicate the identity of a person or thing
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used to describe the qualities of a person or thing
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used to indicate the condition of a person or thing.”
Be is also my One Word for the year. The One Word theory is that there’s a single word that defines your year’s journey.
The first two years I chose the word “enough,” which sparked the enough blog series. It was based on the idea that if we are doing what we are designed to do, not more and not less, then we are enough.
Last year, I felt led to the word “mercy,” from Micah 6:8:
I started researching race relations and participated in discussions on that topic. I re-evaluated my volunteer efforts to ensure I was doing what best fit. I started researching what mercy means in a Biblical sense, and in turn what it does not mean.
I had no idea that the biggest lessons I would learn about mercy were mercy towards myself. I wrote about a week ago what I’m learning (the hard way!) about control. As I’ve dealt with some of the most scary, troubling and generally irritating health problems of my life (anyone who knows my history knows that’s saying a lot), I’ve had to change a lot of plans, ideas and expectations.
In an interesting twist, 2015 was the first time I chose a word for business and personal. My business One Word was “priorities.” The self-mercy idea and the priorities proved to work hand-in-hand. I had to really identify priorities in work and in life. Obvious, right? For someone who likes to think they can do everything, that was a hard pill to swallow.
That’s where the word for 2016 comes in. This is the first year where I’ve known the sentiment or idea that needed to be my focus but didn’t know the word. With the previous years, I knew the word and how that word manifested itself in my life was revealed throughout the year.
The idea I’m working on this year is to just…be. To yes, set goals, but to realize that life happens. That life is not just about all the big things I’m hoping to do in the future. It’s also about the moments now. It’s about cherishing the simple joys. It’s about not only setting priorities, but setting a limited number of priorities. It’s about truly focusing on what I’m designed to do.
It’s about being still and knowing he is God.
2016 is going to be an interesting year.
(One quick note: All memes from this blog are pictures I took with words laid over them).