Word-of-the-Year

Late last night as I tried to get caught up on posts from the past few days (some of you are QUITE prolific, shall I say), the "new year" challenge at Octamom's blog jumped out at me. Rather than writing a list of resolutions--who needs another list, anyway?--choose a word for the year, one to guide, focus, inspire!

Or more accurately, within a few seconds of reading it, the word I imagined I should choose jumped out at me.

So....

I went with it! I don't have much time for thought and reflection at the moment anyway, what with the "pay back" from taking a few days for travel and now with one of my right hands on her two week vacation.

Ready?





REST.

Yep. That's it. (I can just hear the people who know me well breathing a sigh of relief.)

My personality and pride would much rather go with a very productive sounding word, such as the one Octamom herself expounded on so eloquently: excellence. Something to describe action!
But that's it for this year folks. REST.

I'm trying to convince myself it's actually quite Biblical. Did you know that "rest" or some form of the word ("rested") is mentioned 540 times in the New King James Version? I didn't either till just now. And the first mention is GOD HIMSELF resting, in Genesis 2:2. It's also been pointed out to me that JESUS also rested. Hm....

And so in the order in which they come to me, in 2009 I want to:

Rest in believing that God knows what is best for me this year and at this time of my life.

Rest in the fact that He has it all under control. Without my help.

Rest and stay cool, calm, and collected, even when the day gets hairy.

Rest in moments I can find to be with Him....rather than forming a "to do" list. Multiple ones. On any scrap of paper I can find.

Rest in His love for me that can satisfy every fiber of my being...if I believe that and LET Him.

Rest and RELAX rather than get so tense and tied up in knots I am a massage therapist dream client (doesn't happen to me of course, I'm just sayin').

Rest, stay focused, balanced, and calm, throughout all the changes of 2009, some huge ones right around the corner....yippee (not!).

I am even doing what was once unthinkable and actually spinning around some plans to take a mini-furlough (2-3 months) around my 5 year anniversary point of living in Bolivia. Of course, it's much easier to plan all the ways to use that time in the US and for rest of course, rather than fathoming how in the world I can be gone from the childrens' homes that long (for one I'll terriblyyyy miss the babies)... But I trust that God will make a way if it's to happen.

Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for Him. Psalm 37:7

Ummm, that was great. Wonder if it could be beneficial to have a word-of-the-month? A word-of-the-day?! Ah-hem. There I go overboard again. Rest, rest, rest....

Anyone else have a word to share?