Zooming in on Life with a Word

Every year for at least 20 years now I've been choosing a word for the year. Last year it was perspective. This year is it love. I know. Love, love, love. Seems like an easy word to choose, but really, it's not. I almost chose the word others. But, it didn't define the theme I was looking for. So, then I thought, ultimately it's about loving others, thus the word love.

Last year, the word perspective took me in places I never expected. I chose that word because I felt I needed a better perspective on our life of frequent travels. I thought it was as simple as learning how to navigate the coming and going more practically. Like packing simpler, packing right. I duplicated all my toiletries so that I didn't have to load from what I used every day and replace everything every time we returned. Upon a return trip, I'd refill, restock, and presto, everything was ready to go for the next trip. Toiletry bag on the shelf. Simply had to pull it down and load in the suitcase. But, perspective took me much deeper than that.

As I zoomed in on the landscape of my life, certain objects, or should I say matters, began to emerge. It was like God focused on an area that was completely effecting my perspective on life. I hadn't seen it before, but there it was, looming in the distance. Then it became clearer and clearer. It changed everything. Maybe someday I can share my story at length, but let me just suffice it to say, God took that word and went beyond my imagination. He knows the desire of our hearts. Choosing a word for the year is opening yourself up to what God wants to do in the midst of that word in your life. It creates a theme that is about being rather than doing. Then, we begin doing out of the being, which is the way it should be anyway. It's what's on the inside that counts.

So, more to come on love. My theme comes from Galatians 5:6. Paul challenges the believers that the important thing - what really counts, what really matters, something that is far more interior -  is that we express our faith in love.

2012... learning to love. If it goes anything like last year, this should be quite the journey.