Photo by Debby Hudson on Unsplash
Recently I was invited to share one word for what I learned this year.
Usually, I think of what the year ahead might hold, but this time it was about looking back. In truth, I wanted my word to be something snazzy and cool-sounding like vibrant, joy, adventure, and wonder. But this year felt more humble, hard-fought, and authentic.
My word was diligence.
While this word speaks more to the daily grind than the delightful heights, it's true. Looking back on the year, the moments I'm most proud of are when I kept going anyways. The times when I kept showing up, like in my writing when I felt like it was awful and I pressed publish anyway. Or when I wanted to quit on a friendship but prayed for blessings and wisdom over that person instead. The days when I was sick and tired of being sick and tired, and I decided to take a walk anyway. The hard-fought diligence was when I moved forward for no good reason and yet did it anyway.
The times I chose the baby step felt like a quiet revolution in my heart.
What about you? What's one word for what you have learned? Share it here if you want or share it in your heart. But I hope you will share it with someone. We need each other and each other's stories for encouragement.
The thing that most inspired me this year was when I took that tiny step in faith. In my limited mind, I called it worthless. And God in His awesome grace would always surprise me with someone who was changed as a result. It didn't happen every time and in all cases, but in true heavenly Father fashion -- a text from a friend, an email from a stranger, a conversation with a neighbor or a phone call out of the blue -- one fellow encourager would share how my one step encouraged them. And that one share of how my diligence mattered, made it worth it all.
So go ahead, name your word. Share it, claim it, even if it's boring or brave, wonderful or wilderness sounding. Share it because we never know how our light may change it all for someone, and maybe, that someone is you.