In a word ...

I don't do New Year's resolutions. I don't think I have ever managed to keep even one of my well-intended resolutions. Usually, I've broken it before January is over. So a long time ago, I gave up on resolutions.

But last year, I tried out something new with my friends at the Five in a Row message boards. I picked a word for the year. Last year my word was ENOUGH. I remember that I chose that word because I didn't feel like there was enough of me to go around or that I ever had enough ___________ (pick the word to fill in the blank: money, time, patience, love, sleep, hope, faith, etc). I even wondered if God could be enough for me when I was feeling so desperate.

In the beginning, I wasn't sure how choosing a word for the year would be helpful. And yet, in 2008, I learned all about ENOUGH. I didn't think about my word every day, but yet when I did ponder on it I could see that all year God was proving that He was enough for me and that through Him I'd have enough of whatever it was that I needed.

When I started to think about my word for 2009, I came up with so many words. I thought of joy, grace, mercy, focus, gentleness, love, purpose, hope, faith, diligence, direction and kindness. Each of those words is a quality that I'd like to have more of and I felt sort of torn over which one to name as my word for 2009.

As I debated and thought and finally prayed over which word to choose, a famous Bible passage came to mind: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! Matthew 7:7-11

With that thought in mind, I knew that my word for 2009 is ASK. I will ask the Lord to give me those qualities I'm needing: grace when I need grace; joy when I need joy; focus when my mind begins to wander from the task at hand; kindness when I'm feeling grumpy; hope when I feel desperate. And because of what I learned in 2008, I know that in 2009 God will continue to give me ENOUGH of the things I'm ASKing Him for.