A word to define my year, to live by, to pray about instead of resolutions that will be broken.
But first, lets reflect. My word for 2018 was GRIT!
I had plans for 2018.
We had to finish saving for our Outer Banks vacation and start saving for a 2019 Disney vacation. There were camping weekends to save for and a mortgage that would be nice to shave a year or two off of. I had dreams of doing an entirely homemade Christmas for everyone on our list. There are 11 years worth of pictures to get into albums, cookbooks that need updating for my sanity, and a garden that needed a big overhaul. And then there were the house updates that have been on the backburner for far too long, projects that were promised a few Christmases ago, and so. much. more.
I needed a lot of Grit if I was going to tackle them all and come out alive. But those were my plans. God had other ideas.
Just a few short days into 2018, our security was shaken and we dove headfirst into the world of self-employment. My dreams for the year became out of reach and Grit was truly needed to stay afloat.
Determination, sacrifices, saying no when needed, saying yes when we could, staying in budget, not stretching ourselves too thin when we didn't know what the future would hold no matter what anyone else thought took.... Grit.
It was rough. It was scary. It took a lot of Faith. But. I am happy to report, now at the end of 2018, that we survived. Survived and thrived and came out on top, in fact. But I/We couldn't have done it alone and THAT is the basis of my One Word for the New Year.
There were people in my life who... stepped up to the plate. Only they wouldn't call it that. They would say they were doing what needed to be done and doing what they could. Their generosity made frivolities obtainable and there was never a chance to worry about the mundane. Even though their world had not changed and lending a listening ear would have been enough, they were ready. Ready to help. Ready to ease. Ready and willing and already one step ahead of me.
My word for 2019 is Ready.
Joana Gaines said it best:
While sometimes I am capable, able-bodied, and strong on multiple fronts, other times I need to step back, delegate and let go of some stuff. These and the many iterations in between are personal examples of what it means to me to be made ready. Every season looks different, and each one is no less significant than the other. I believe that each of us, in every circumstance, has what it takes - that built within the construction of who we are is whatever that moment in time requires.
But being made ready is not about being all things to all people at all times. Actually, it may look like quite the opposite. Sometimes it means acknowledging my lack, understanding my limits, knowing the strengths of those around me, and graciously receiving help when they're willing to step in.
I love the seasons of hard work and heavy loads because they show me what these arms can carry. I love the seasons when I can carry others and also when I can allow myself to be carried because I see that no one is meant to bear the burden alone. Each is right and good and true, and without both, we miss something more important that we were created for. I am definitely not perfect, but I am willing and capable. And whatever tomorrow may hold, here's what I believe to be true: I am made Ready."
In 2019, I will be Ready. Ready to give my husband, children, friends the best of me, not the tired, frazzled, grumpy leftovers. I will be Ready to ease burdens and refill the cups of those closest to me. I will be Ready to run towards any circumstance instead of "wishing I had the time/finances/something I can do". And. I will be Ready to receive the love that others want to share and not feel unworthy, not needed, or that it is charity.
Love, friendship, moments comes in all forms and I will be Ready.
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