Spiritual Vocabulary

Recently, my grandpa sent me an article from Guideposts titled "A Word for the New Year." It was by the author Debbie Macomber. The whole idea behind the article was that we choose one word to carry us through the year. Some of her examples throughout her life have been: hunger, prayer, and balance. This word is something to focus on as the day progresses; it also serves as a tool in prayer.

I started thinking about my word. My thoughts and words often get jumbled, and I need a place to focus. More than anything, I usually have too many words floating around in my mind. What if I had just ONE word to focus on? Could this help me grow as a person? As a Christian?

My first thought was hope. More than once, I have talked to my sister about the idea of hope. She told me, "It's pretty much my favorite thing ever." I'll never forget this because it is so true... especially for her. She's a dreamer, and she relies on hope to carry her throughout her day, her life. I love the song "Hope Now" by Addison Road.

"I'm not my own. I've been carried by You all my life. 

Everything rides on hope now. Everything rides on faith somehow. 

When the world has broken me down, Your love sets me free."

As Christians, we rely on this hope to guide us through our lives. Surrendering to this amazing faith helps us find peace when life seems chaotic and confusing. Yes, hope is important to have in my spiritual vocabulary.

With this said, I don't think that hope is going to be my word. Grace seems much more fitting for me. This is going to be a challenge because I've always had a hard time grasping this concept. "Grace is accepting what is rather than resenting what isn't." I need this. I need to accept grace in my life and surrender to God's amazing plan. His gift to me is grace, and I will pass on this loving attitude to those around me.