Word for 2011.

www.aliedwards.com

Last year at this time many of us chose a word to focus on during 2010.  I chose "pause"as the word that I hoped would impact my life in 2010.  I honestly focused on it throughout the past year as I more consciously made time to get on the floor and play with my kids, aspired to be in the Word every day (I fell short), and tried to really listen to my husband (I'm sure I could have done better with this too).   It was a challenge for me to pause and leave the sink full of dishes when I knew they had to be done, or shut my computer on a post I was writing because one of the boys was clamoring for my attention, but I did my best.  I saw that declaring " a word" forced me to pay attention to the way I chose to spend my time.  I tend to want to constantly be in motion, but the pauses in my days and my thoughts were good for me.


This year I have decided to join Ali Edwards again.  I struggled with choosing a word for 2011.  First, I felt the need to focus on loving my family better.  My relationship with each member is unique and needs to be treated as such.  I want to love them uniquely, to love them well.  That didn't really work because "love well" kept coming to my mind... but that's not a word, it's a phrase, and I don't want to rewrite the rules.  Then I though about what loving each of them well would entail and thought that "serve" was a word that summed it up nicely.  It just wasn't resonating in my heart.  The search for my word continued.


Yesterday I found my word in church, and it was not what I expected.  

"Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."  (Matthew 11:28-30)


Our pastor and his wife were on vacation this past weekend, so a local Bible professor (who attends our church with his family) taught on these verses today.  I knew as I listened that my word for 2011 would be "rest".  He talked about our tendencies to want to go go go and stressed we are so much of the time.  How many times I have thought to myself:

• If I were a better mom I would want to play Star Wars with Luke and I would want to sit in Abby's room and make friendship bracelets all afternoon long. 
• If I were a better homemaker there wouldn't be dust bunnies along our baseboards, crumbs under the dining room table, and soap scum on the tiles in our shower.
• If I were a better organizer I wouldn't feel frazzled all of the time.
• If I were craftier then I could write amazing tutorials and wow people with my creativity, like all of those craft bloggers that I admire.
• If I were a great cook my kids would always eat what was on their plates at dinner time and our weekly menus would not look the same, week after week after week.

The list could go on and on.  Ask my husband and he would probably tell you that I tend to expect a lot of myself and others.  It usually ends up with me feeling like I need another 12 hours in a day and probably leads others to feel like they might never be what I expect them to be.  It would break my heart if my husband or children ever were made to feel that way, because they are everything that I need, just as they are.

I'm tired of laboring against myself, I'm tired of trying to accomplish the unrealistic to-do list that I have created, and I'm weary from always feeling like it's not enough.  I want rest for my soul.  I want His yoke.  I want more of Jesus and less of me.   

So this year, I will really do my best to love well and to serve my family, friends, and even strangers, but most of all I will stop trying to be Super Woman, because I'm pretty sure that He loves me just the way I am.  I can't help but think that it causes Him sadness to see me wearing myself out when He just wants me to rest in Him.

What about you?  

Have you chosen a word for 2011, 

one that has the potential to change you this year?

Would you share it with us?

By the way, Lisa Leonard has introduced a necklace just for us...

I think I may have to get one with my word stamped on it, as a reminder to rest.