Have you chosen a word for 2019? As I mentioned in my last post, my word each year is usually begins longtime cultivation. That’s certainly true for my 2018 word, YES.
Certainly one of our occupational hazards in ministry is disordered commitments (usually over-commitment, but not always). Endless people needs with little inherent boundaries = my life! Discerning how to invest our limited physical and emotional energy each 24 hours is truly a spiritual discipline. It turns out that unlimited time and energy are not my superpower. Bummer.
I’ve often heard people say “I need to learn how to say no”, but that’s not quite my problem. I can say a decisive no quite easily at times. But it’s my YES that can be all over the place.
So, I set out to find out where my YESES were coming from (I know, it looks funny, but that’s the plural of yes :)). As I looked deeper, I found a mix of beautiful things like love, commitment, generosity, but I also saw my capacity to be fueled by guilt, fear, and pride. In 2018, I sought to find my sacred YES, and the search continues…
Both our yes and no can be sacred acts of trust. The commitments that spring from a heart of trust in God take great courage. Chaotic commitments are a quick road to resentment, burnout, and even depression.
Spark what matters: What drives your YES? What/who is most important to say YES to this year? What has suffered in your life because of unclear commitments? Notice what emotions and thoughts come up when you consider your own limits. Who can you share this with?
Oh, and side note…. it also happens to be that in 2018, John and I said one of our biggest Yeses. We are shifting our focus to Western Europe and our home base to Malaga, Spain this Spring! That was one of God’s surprises in my year of YES.
And, now I begin the year of HERE!
My word for this year, HERE, came to me in late November. Though I’ve considered related words in the past, this was the year, and I knew it. “Being present” is a popular phrase these days. Maybe due to our multi-tasking, over-stimulated culture, it seems to be a challenge for many. We are all craving something about experiencing the unfolding of the present moment.
Over the past years, I’ve noticed my own preference for the past and the future. I consider it a strength (hello Connectedness, #3 on my Strengths Finder!). Recalling the past, especially God’s faithfulness, is a blessing. Some forward planning is wisdom. But I’ve also discovered that the shadow side of that strength is an escape from the present that can in part be connected to anxiety and the need for control. Anxiety hijacks our ability to be present, to give and receive in the moment.
Being truly being present means being emotionally connected, not just to what’s happening around us, but to our own internal world. That’s what leads to attunement. It involves vulnerability- seeing and being seen- which is something we both crave and fear. It involves revealing our limits, emotions, hopes, fears, and strengths with no guarantees of the outcome.
It’s not surprising that we struggle to be present. We’ve been hiding since the Garden of Eden. Each personality type hides for different reasons and in different ways. My personality type tends to hide from self by focusing on others. How about you? How and why do you hide? What will it mean for you to truly be present this year?
So, for 2019 I’m embracing the word HERE. Cultivating an attuned presence means greater awareness of my own heart in the unfolding moment. It means giving myself to what God might be up to right HERE, right now.
I’m entering an entire year of transition. Endless opportunities to be open to what might happen wherever “here” might be. My breath prayer is “You are HERE, Lord. I have everything I need.”
Spark what matters: So, what is your word for 2019? Share it! By the way, if you’re a person that is living and working overseas, consider joining the Facebook group Spark What Matters where we can continue the conversation!
Love this! I think I’m going to use “Breathe.” It reminds me to breathe, especially in the midst of anxiety or challenging moments, and I’ve attached a bit of a mantra to the act of a deep breath “I breathe in God’s grace, I breathe out God’s love” (something I read one time in a Connected Families’ article…pretty life-changing!). I also like how simple it is and how free it makes me feel. All I *have* to do is breathe, and I *get* to do other things if I choose ;-).
Also, home base in Spain…does that mean MOVING to Spain to live?
Laura, I love your word, and how it’s connected to where you are right now! I have also embraced the practice of a “breath prayer” or mantra. so helpful. and yes, we’re moving to Spain 🙂 although Asia is always in my heart.
Love this. Decided my word for 2019 is “focus.”