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Beauty on the Backroads

Stories of grace for life's unexpected turns

One Word 365

When everything speaks your one word

January 28, 2013

When I chose one word to focus on this year, I didn’t know exactly what I’d gotten myself into. I’d read some great posts about last year’s One Word experiences, and I looked forward to what God would show me through “release” this year. OneWord2013_Release150

I just didn’t expect it to happen so soon.

In January alone, the idea of release, freedom and letting go has been everywhere.

Here’s a roundup of what I’ve seen, read and experienced this month that relates to my one word.

  • I knew one action I was going to take this year was to release the hold I’ve had on my novel writing. In the past, I’ve casually mentioned and almost apologized for writing a novel. I haven’t taken it seriously, and this year, I knew that I would have to if I wanted anyone else to. So, I started talking about it. I told some family members. I talked to some friends about what the story is. And then I got tagged in a blog hop that “forced” me to reveal more about the project. Yeah, it’s scary, but it’s also been neat. Because when you trust people with something that’s important to you, you’re often surprised by the reaction. So far, so good.
  • This blog, by Jen Hatmaker, has challenged me to release my kids to be kids and not worry so much about the trouble they’re getting into or what might happen if they’re out of my sight for a few seconds. I’m a combination control freak/worry wart, so these words were challenging and encouraging at the same time.
  • And this video of seniors snow tubing is a visual of what it means to release. Not only does this make me smile, it makes me want to take more risks.
  • I allowed Facebook to show my age. I turn 35 this year. My age isn’t something I’ve been comfortable talking about in recent years. This year I’m adopting the motto: 35 and unashamed!
  • Phil and I visited a Catholic adoration chapel and shrine in the Chicago suburbs. I have some preconceived notions about Catholicism, at times, and yet my heart was stirred by the silence and beauty of this place. Letting go sometimes means opening yourself up to expressions of faith different from your own.
  • While we were home in Illinois, we also visited a couple of gravesites: my paternal grandfather’s, which I have not been to since he died in 2000, and a former co-worker who died two years ago. I haven’t yet known many people close to me who have died, so visiting gravesites hasn’t been important to me. But in a way, it provides closure and takes a little bit of the sting away from death.
  • Psalm 118:5, “I called to the Lord in my distress; the Lord answered by setting me free.”
  • Psalm 4:1, “Answer me when I call, O God, defender of my cause; you set me free when I am hard-pressed; have mercy on me and hear my prayer.”
  • Isaiah 43:18-19, “Do not call to mind the former things, or ponder things of the past. Behold, I will do something new, now it will spring forth; Will you not be aware of it? I will even make a roadway in the wilderness, rivers in the desert.” To  me, I heard, let go of what was. Look for what is and is to come.
  • From Sacramental Life (which I review on this blog on Wednesday) in a chapter called “Living like you’ll live forever”: “As we give ourselves away for the good of others like people who have an endless supply of life …” This has reformed my thinking about giving of myself and my time and my strength. In Christ, those things are renewed, endlessly, till eternity. I often think of myself as limited.
  • Also from Sacramental Life: “As we place Christ’s affirmation above all others, we find ourselves walking … in greater freedom from the fear of human disapproval of our faithful choices.” This resonates with me as my husband and I continue to follow God’s lead for ministry. It doesn’t make sense to some, and I sometimes find myself apologizing for living 800 miles away from family or feeling bad that we aren’t in a position to support our family without help. These words free me to follow Christ, seek His approval and leave the attitudes of others to Him.
  • And then there’s this:

fly

Looking forward to what the next month will bring when it comes to “release.”

Filed Under: One Word 365 Tagged With: freedom, letting go, one word 365, release

One word to guide my year

January 1, 2013

I’m bad at making–and keeping–resolutions. Who isn’t, right?

So when I stumbled onto the opportunity to simplify my new year’s resolutions into one word, I decided to give it a try.

A Facebook friend blogged about her experience with Oneword365 for 2012. And I was inspired by the idea that I could spend the whole year letting one word transform my life, my attitudes, my behaviors.

It’s not a to-do kind of word but a to-be kind of word, not a rule but a guide.

I’m totally game.

So I spent a couple of days thinking of possibilities. They’re endless, you know. So many words to choose from. Peace. Grace. Joy. Love. I’d be thrilled if my capacity for any one of those increased over the year. But none of those seemed to fit.

The right word came to me in the middle of an emotional breakdown. I’d shut myself in the bedroom, asking the kids to please play by themselves in the living room or their room for a few minutes so I could have some space to cry and journal and pour my heart out to God about how yuck I feel about life right now.

He listened as I raged–on paper–and let my emotions spin wildly out of control.

Then He whispered, “Let go.”

I am a control freak, and nothing scares a control freak more than the idea that she’s not in control. Parenting has yet to break me completely of the notion that I have little to no control over anything. (Have you ever tried to get a preschooler or toddler to do anything you say? Not pretty.) But our circumstances have put me in a position to realize that I have no control. I can’t make anything happen. It’s not up to me to chart the course of our life. My job is to wait. And listen. And take the appropriate steps.

Since “let go” is two words, I wanted to replace it with a one-word synonym. “Surrender” is one, but to me, that sounds like giving up. I know surrender is a biblical thing, and I’m okay with surrender, in general, but I don’t want to put myself in a mental state of giving up.

So, here’s my word for 2013:

Release.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

I’ve felt myself holding tightly to things in the last year. Expectations. My plans. My way. People’s perceptions. Excuses.

This year, I want to unclench my fists and hold my hands open and let go of what I think I need. Hold my heart open and let go of pain I’ve been harboring. Hold my mind open and let go of perceptions, of me and of others.oneword-release-rope

I’ve heard that when you’re at the end of your rope, you should tie a knot and hold on. I’ve heard, too, that there’s another option.

Let go.

And like a free fall, trust God to support you, even if you can’t see how.

The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me,
because the Lord has anointed me
to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim freedom for the captives
and release from darkness for the prisoners. (Isaiah 61:1)

Release. 2013.

I’m hoping to check in here once a month about what a mindset of release is teaching me.

Have you considered one word for the year? Find out more here. And join the journey.

OneWord2013_Release150

Filed Under: One Word 365 Tagged With: new year's resolutions, one word 365, spiritual growth, transformation

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Hi. I’m Lisa, and I’m glad you’re here. If we were meeting in real life, I’d offer you something to eat or drink while we sat on the porch letting the conversation wander as it does. That’s a little bit what this space is like. We talk about books and family and travel and food and running, whatever I might encounter in world. I’m looking for the beauty in the midst of it all, even the tough stuff. (You’ll find a lot of that here, too.) Thanks for stopping by. Stay as long as you like.

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