Are you stressing when pondering your word of the year? I don’t mean freaking out, being anxious, or fall apart. Stressing can also imply importance, weight, significance.
Some years my word so preciously chosen in January fades by February. By summer I can’t even remember what the word was. One year a new word emerged every quarter.
The last few years my word has held steadfast, staying close to my heart, stretching me at times. Its presence feels like a trusted friend, along for the ride through all the ups and downs of our time together.
I have learned to stress my word. One way is to anticipate what I will share on this blog with you concerning the spiritual lessons I am learning. You, dear reader, are my accountability partner and may have never realized that. Thank you!
My word pops up frequently in my prayers and journals too. I jot down new insights to its meaning. I listen for God’s nudges to go deeper. I ask how has this word changed me? How has this word changed since January?
I stress my word(s) in spoken language too. This year I heard a phrase not a singular word – Honor the Thirst Deep Within. Each word has had its moment. I have wondered and explored meanings. Research Bible verses shedding light on its content.
But this month each morning I am stressing the words in a form of a prayer. Each morning a heightened awareness takes root in my soul:
HONOR the thirst deep within.
Honor THE thirst deep within.
Honor the THIRST deep within.
Honor the thirst DEEP within.
Honor the thirst deep WITHIN.
Stressing our word become like a breath prayer for me. I imagine this could work with one word too. Just find a Bible verse or a quote or a simple prayer using your word to repeat each day. Then allow its wisdom to seep into your heart.
The word stressing does have negative implications but isn’t this a fun new way to “stressing?”
How are you living this year with a word that resonates with your soul? It’s not too late to listen and adopt a word of the year!
Jean: I found myself using my word in conversations with others when I felt I had overstepped my bounds with them. My word is Forgiveness (and the words associated with it.)
Forgiveness can be a challenging word. Congrats on taking that risk and opening yourself up to learning and loving. Using our words in conversation is a great idea!
Jean I love the way you weave your word into your life, it’s not an “extra” or add-on, it’s part of your everyday. I love your suggestions here!
Thank you Donna. I love how your framed your comment in how I weave my word into my life, That is true but hadn’t really appreciated that until you wrote about it. Thank you!
Jean, thank you for pointing out some of the ways you have woven your word into your life. I especially appreciate the breath prayer idea!
Thanks Michelle, Breath prayer has been a real go to prayer type for me for a number of years. Calming for sure!
I love this way of “stressing.” 🙂 It works great with your phrase! I’ve done this often with the verse “Be still and know I am God.”
Yes it is the Be Still prayer that gave me the idea for this prayer using my phrase. Just a different approach to allowing these words to grow deeper within us.
I love the idea of allowing our word-of-the-year to inspire a breath prayer, Jean. Thank you! To be honest, I’ve not been as faithful to immerse in this year’s word, “look,” as I have some words in years past. The gleanings of the first few months did merge into a poem in April. But another pursuit has gripped my attention since mid-April: following through on Ruth Haley Barton’s Invitation to Solitude and Silence. Then again, I am LOOKing to know my Father more intimately, experience his presence more profoundly, and obey his impulses more faithfully moment by moment, as I sit in solitude and silence with him. I AM still LOOKing!
Yes yes you ARE looking. What a neat word you have this year. Blessing on your continual looking the rest of the year.
thank you jean…my word is knowledge and “linger with me”..i have gained more knowledge thru classes etc..but i think acc can be added to knowledge and then it blends in with “linger with me.”.acknowledge me and linger with me”..He wants close relationship with us so very much..
peace
I just love linger with me. wow. What a powerful phrase. May it bless you in many ways!
As always, you give us new and special ways to explore the word we’ve chosen for the year, Jean. I have stayed fairly in tune with my word, “mindful,” but this post inspires me to go even deeper and with greater commitment.
Blessings!
I sure enjoy exploring these words of the year practices. Some years are more fruitful than others but the last few years have been amazing.