Saturday, January 5, 2013

One Word 2013- Being

So for this title I almost write 2012. It's going to take me a bit to remember to write that! Well 2013 is finally here, with all of it's mystery and adventure. I don't know what this year will hold, but what I love about the first few days into a new year provides a rare perspective. You're close enough to look back but far enough to look ahead. As I sat with friends and we asked each other what all happened in 2012, I didn't have some big answer. But after I had time to reflect, how wrong I was...

As I look back over the pages of this year, I feel like it was a "behind the scenes year". I did so much learning and growing. I feel that this year was absolutely essential to who I am today. I didn't really think about it like that until now. But I'm not the same person I was last year. Subtle changes, little things, but they all add up into something bigger. All of the lessons that I've learned, while definitely not being east or fun, are lessons that I can take into this new year. I thought that nothing happened this year but it wasn't farther from the truth.

Something else I wanted to write about here was about One Word. If you've never heard about it, you can read a little more about it HERE. Instead of resolutions, you pick one word you want to work on. After a lot of prayer and thought, mine was.....

Being.

A little different I know. But it has a story. After a mission trip that was stateside and hearing a message on Mary and Martha. I wrote in my Bible "Being vs. Doing." While I was paging through my Bible, I stopped and and thought that was it. Being.

Jesus came by to stop at  Mary and Martha's house. They were friends. And Jesus was in the living room, talking. Mary, now she was at the feet of Jesus, hanging on His every word. Soaking it in. Simply being in the presence of her Savior. But her sister Martha was busy in the kitchen. Perhaps she was cleaning, preparing food, keeping bus trying to make sure everything was perfect for Jesus. She was so busy doing instead of being. (I wonder if Martha was the older sister?)....And finally, getting frustrated like any sister would, she out to Jesus and says, "Don't you care? I'm in doing all this work and she's out here sitting by your feet! Tell her to come help me!"  I can see Jesus looking at her tenderly and saying her name, "Martha, Martha. You're worried about so much but there is only one thing that really matters. Mary has chosen what is better, and it can't be taken away from her."

Ahhh, well. If I'm honest with myself, really honest, I'm more like Martha. Okay, who am I kidding, I would SO be Martha. Running around, making sure everything is perfect, so busy about doing that I miss the opportunity to BE. (The whole story can be found in Luke 10:38-42).

So that's my word. I want to concentrate on Being. And letting that be who I am, instead of be so worried about doing.

What is your One Word?