Have you noticed how lots of people choose ‘their’ word for a new year?
It’s a great concept: focus on one word that describes how you’d like to see your next year shape up. A word that brings a change to your life, perhaps a new way of thinking or the breaking of old, bad habits.
When I began to read about focusing on one particular word, I read list after list of words that others had chosen…
Motivate… Refresh… Balance… Empower… Accept… Shine…
…the list went on and on with fabulous words that would certainly benefit anyone, and particularly ME if I were to take one and try to live it out in 2014.
But I couldn’t seem to focus on one. I wrestled with coming up with a word to live out this next year, and finally gave up.
Then, several nights ago, when the house was dark and I was in bed and should have been sleeping, my thoughts turned once again to the loss of my mother just a year ago tomorrow.
It’s hard to open up this much with you, but the pain and difficulty she suffered doesn’t seem to have dulled much over the past year. The sheer evil and destruction that is cancer seems just as present with me today as it was a year ago.
I began to pray and wonder why that has to be. As I did, I felt God speaking to me in the most comforting voice, telling me that I am not alone. That, in time, the happy memories will filter to the surface and the horrible ones (of pain and sickness and death) will fade. Oh, I do look forward to that day!
And then THE word came to me that I know I must make mine this year:
VICTORIOUS!
Ah, the mere sound of its syllables gives me hope!!
So, for this year… with all the goals I want to accomplish,
the loves I want to nourish, the good I want to do…
and especially the healing that I need…
I claim VICTORY!
No longer will I live in defeat! I will live as though I know the outcome, which I do, and that is Victory!! The LORD has already promised me that, so I reckon it’s about time I started living VICTORIOUSLY!
Ah, I feel better already!
Join me, won’t you? Let’s be VICTORIOUS in 2014!!
*Photos taken by myself and some dear friends after a Deep South snow event, 2014.
Perfect! Never too late! I love this post! I feel your pain, Sondra. Its been almost 7 years since I lost my mom to cancer. I miss her. She used to journal, and it’s taken me this long, but I just pulled some of them out the other day to start reading. Grieving is a long long process. The fact that you wrote this is a victory! You are victorious! Blessings!
Thank you sooo much, Lori for your encouragement! I know you miss your mom, too. It’s a loss that definitely feels like you lose part of yourself, isn’t it?
Blessings right back to you, and have a great weekend!
I want to feel that victorious feeling too Sondra. It’s been a tough almost 4 years for me. Watching my momma grieve has been so hard. Thank you for this post, I needed it too. Blessings
Oh, I know it has been so hard for you to watch your momma suffer through her grief. So thankful that He knows, and can meet, our every need! Still praying for you and your Mom!! Hugs!