My Word of the Year: Movement
A few weeks ago, we visited a small church. As part of the service four tables or stations with reflective activities were set up around the room. At one of the station there were thin slices of tree trunk on which we were invited to write a word of the year. I chose the word, “trust”.
Trust is my comfort food of words like hot bowl of chili on a cold night.
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Last night as we gathered around the table with our nomadic friends I was surprised when someone brought up “word of the year”. We went around the circle sharing our words. When it was my turn I went to my old standby, “trust”.
Trust is a an important word to me.
It’s oxygen to my soul.
But trust can also be like a soft warm bed. It can be so cozy that it becomes more of an excuse to sleep the days away rather than the faith that the bridge will hold when you cross it.
As 2013 grew closer by the minute, another friend gently questioned my word of the year as if it might be a cop out.
It was.
It’s not that I don’t doubt my future and my purpose from time to time but over the years I have learned that things do work out. I’ve learned I can lean into God and he mysteriously carries me out of life’s fires. Slowly but steadily, I’ve learned to trust more than fear. We wouldn’t have left our comfortable life in Ventura for a life on the road if I didn’t have a fair amount of trust.
I quickly came up with a new word “confidence”. A word which, if you think about it, is really only a few steps from trust. Another friend suggested, “acceptance.” Hmmmm…acceptance is always good and I certainly could use a little more self acceptance.
The clock struck 12. Brent and I shared our first kiss of 2013. We headed back to our RV and tumbled into bed.
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Around 4 am, I awoke and heard a whisper over my pounding headache, “Movement.”
Movement.
My word of the year.
It’s a bit ironic if you think about it. We are full time travelers in an RV and rarely stay more than two weeks in one place. We are always on the move.
But I heard it over and over again as I lay in bed my skull splitting from too many glasses of wine.
Movement. Movement. Movement.
Then I realized even though we spent last year on the move visiting over half the states in our country, I’ve been stuck.
Stuck in a rut in my mind.
For a long time.
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Yesterday morning, my family and I sat around the table writing down areas of character we would like to see grow, things we would like to experience, places we would like to go, and skills we would like to learn this year. The first thing I wrote on my list was “follow through”.
Following through = Movement
I also wrote that I wanted to learn to play the guitar. I got a guitar for my birthday more than 10 years ago and I’ve been wanting to pick it up since.
Strumming = Movement
I’ve been repeating stories in my head for years. Stories that I want to get out of my head and onto paper.
Writing = Movement
I’ve been wanting to deepen my relationship with and understanding of God.
Prayer and Study = Movement
Of course, there is my goal to walk 3,000,000 steps in 2013 because movement matters.
Walking = Movement (Quite literally ;-))
Then there was the kicker.
“You trust so you can move,” said the whisper.
For a few weeks, a particular quote has been coming to my mind repetitively.
“A ship in the harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for.” – most often attributed to John Shedd
Ships are meant to sail not to stagnate.
Movement.
Movement of the body.
Movement of the mind.
Movement of the soul.
This year I’m challenging myself to sail out of the harbor and brave the rough waters because I know a God who will calm the sea.
First there is trust.
Then comes movement.
Do you have a word of the year? Happy New Year!!!
Hugs and High Fives,
Jenn
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Journey with our family on the road at New School Nomads as we travel fulltime in RV through the United States!
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An amazing post !!!! Thanks so much for sharing.
Thank you for reading! xo
FORWARD.
That’s perfect for you!!! Happy New Year!
Beautiful post!
I’ll be thinking of my word for the year.
Happy 2013!
Happy 2013 to you to Andrea!!! xo
Lovely post. I’ve chosen EMBRACE. Thanks for the inspiration.
“embrace” is a beautiful word! And I owe you an email!!! I haven forgotten just got busy with the holidays!!
Movement of the body, mind and soul….how exciting! Look at you stretching, reaching out there while you trust! Thanks for mentioning my blog in your post. I have chosen SHINE.
You SHINE like sea under the sun!
Love this! Happy New Year!
Thank you and Happy New Year to you!!!
Probably one of my top 3 if not #1 post of yours. Love it. I’m thinking maybe CONNECT. I want to connect more with family, friends, the Youth, and my Lord.
“Connect” what a great word. I love it and you!!!
WONDERFUL POST!!! It really struck my heart and I felt God talking through you, thank you so much!
Thank you. This is one of the nicest and most humbling comments I have ever received.
LOVE this post. So so much!
I’ve chosen “progression.” I’ve been dragging my feet on several large and daunting goals for years. It’s time to recognize that I need to start making them happen, now instead of later… while acknowledging that it’s okay – necessary, in fact – to do so in small, manageable increments. Daily, weekly, and monthly progress is the way to achieve these goals, not by trying to grasp and wrangle them in their entirety. I’ve, of course, long known this intuitively, but this is the year when I take that knowledge out of my head and put it into practice!
xoxo
What a great word! I think we are on a similar journey this year! xoxo
Agreed! I would like to add guitar to the mix… I’ve been wanting to learn forever and actually did so many years back, a bit. I even wrote a song or two on it. But I don’t even have a guitar right now and there are four big goals I’ve got on my plate, so I’ll stick to those and maybe look ahead to 2014 for the guitar thing. 😉 xoxo