Friday, January 1, 2016

CHOOSE

There is a site that is called OneWord365.  I came across it last year.   Still another 'My One Word".   The idea, of course is to have one word to focus on all year long, rather than a New Year's Resolution.  Off and on all last year, I attempted to come up with one word.  Create. Still.  Surrender.  etc.  None quite fit.  This year, just recently, Abba gave me my 'one word'.  CHOOSE. It is a word filled with meaning. 

It's a verb..a doing word..action.  It means to select FREELY and after consideration, pick by preference, to prefer or decide (to do something), to want, desire, to be inclined.  Synonyms include: accept, embrace, make up one's mind, determine and one of my favorites: espouse (to stand up for, adopt, embrace).

I have had an extremely rough year (especially since the end of June).  My stress levels are off the charts, my lack of sleep leaves me 'hurting tired', easily irritated, and frustrated (to name a few).  So CHOOSE seemed an important word. 

I have been reading Choose Joy 
Finding Hope and Purpose When Life Hurts by Sara Frankl and Mary Carver ) the link to the book will be given at the end of the post)  and I kept thinking that it was the choosing..the desire to have joy that made Sara different.  It wasn't joy that was the main word..but CHOOSE.  Then low and behold, I read in chapter 7 the following: 

I made a decision a long time ago time ago that I was going to choose joy. I even painted a big rectangle on my wall and printed it in big letters so I wouldn't forget to make that choice every day.  The major word in that rectangle isn't joy, it's CHOOSE.  it's looking around me when life is difficult and trading every complaint I have for something beautiful in my life that far outweights it.

And, boom..lightening bolt.  CHOOSE.  It's not as easy as it sounds--at least not for me.  I plan to get vinyl letters and put CHOOSE on my wall.  I want to see it daily.  I want to remember that each day, each moment, I can choose.  I choose my attitude, my actions, my thoughts, my reactions.  I desire to choose wisely, to choose  forgiveness, patience, love, justice, mercy, compassion and most of all, I want to choose JOY (the unwavering trust that God knows what He's doing and blessed me with the opportunity to be a part of..not despite what's happening in my life but because of it..  When everything earthly feels heavy, He gives me an internal lightness that can't be touched.--Sara's definition).

My 'one word' is a huge one for me.  May I choose wise--as Abba would have me do.  I desire to choose life (emotionally, mentally, physically and spiritually).  I can't control others, or life, or my health, or situation...but I can CHOOSE how I handle each thing.  I can CHOOSE joy and that choice starts right now.