Words of the Year

I am part of an amazing online community that is full of inspiring and encouraging women! The last 2 years we have bucked the "Resolution" system of ringing in the New Year and have, instead, prayerfully chosen a word for the year.

After thinking and praying for a number of days, I felt I was given 2 words instead of one. My words? Breathe and Write! As I contemplated my words 2 days ago, I realized the irony in them.

If you have been following my blog at all, you know that I have lost a dear friend and a beloved grandmother so far this first month of the year. 2 solid weeks of the last 27 days have been spent watching people breathe...counting the seconds between their breaths...making sure their chests are rising...wondering when they will breathe their last here on earth and be taken up to breathe deeply of the fragrance of Him!

And how have I processed it all? Why I've been compelled to write, of course! It was either write or have my brain explode with all the thoughts colliding around in there with each other, so write it has been!

I've spent more than a few moments wondering why the Lord couldn't have given me a word like Joy or Peace or Rest. I have to believe, though, in His infinite wisdom and love, He was preparing me! He had to have been for those are rather random words and Breathe is especially not one that I would naturally have thought of on my own!

So rather than question the whys and why nots of this tender young year, I think I shall breathe deep and write, trusting that as the words unfold and are assembled on the page, He'll have something precious to show me...something to encourage me, challenge me and cause me to fall more deeply in love with Him...the Author of my story!