Friday, January 11, 2013

One Word: Believe

A new year.

A new word.

A new start.

Truth be told, I loved my One Word for 2012 so much I really didn't want to pick a new word.  I have a love/hate relationship with change, and I kinda think I rocked True last year.  

Why fix it, if it ain't broken? 

What if the word I came up with for 2013 was a floozy kinda word? You know, just a word for the sake of a word.

What if the word I came up with ended up flopping, irrelevant and weak?

What if?  {insert swift blow to head from the Holy Spirit}  

What if I put myself aside, and let God come up with my word?  A novel idea, I know.

With that swift blow to the head, I waited. 

And waited.

Until, God gave me my word for the next year as I was walking in to Finley's bedroom.


I sat in the rocking chair in her room, thinking about this new word. Dokimozo-ing it. Trying to determine if it was really from God.

I tested it against other words. Beautiful. Hope. Happy.  

I just sat with it, swaying with empty arms.

I looked up it's meaning.

be·lieve

 [bih-leev] verb, be·lieved, be·liev·ing.
verb
1.  to have confidence in the truth
2.  to accept something as true

Oh. Dear. 

With this I knew.  

For one year God challenged me to discover my trueself, to be true to myself, to be true to others, and to identify all that is pure and true, leaving behind all that was not.

Now, in this new year, God is saying, You thought I was done? {insert chuckle} Now it is time for you to BELIEVE in all that is true.

Ugh!

I was comfortable.

Now God is pushing me back into the tension.

He is challenging me to shift my thinking from knowing what is true to believing what is true.

And, for a recovering cynic like myself, that is no small task.

He is asking me to open my hands ever more and to believe in what I have found to be true.

To believe that we will be provided for.

To believe that I am beautiful.

To believe that I am worth it.

To believe that the world is broken.

To believe in redemption.

To believe in the Hope.



The Lettered Cottage

5 comments:

  1. Theresa,
    God has put you in my life as a mentor by using your stories you write to inspire me. I love you!

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  2. Wow, the meaning is so perfect! Love God's leading in your heart and life...and the beauty in the way you share it.
    1 Peter 1:8-9: "Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls". NIV

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    Replies
    1. and there she is...the theresa heethuis that i long to read and learn from and be inspired by!!! i love the word God so graciously gave you...it fits. of course, why wouldn't it? i'm believing right along with you and for you and for your finley grace. love you, sweet precious theresa!

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  3. Great word!! A tie in with 2012's word to boot! #bonuspoints

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  4. Love it. Beautiful and terrifying at the same time, eh? Inspired by how you stopped and listened. Thanks for sharing.

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