In the past, I have had words find me — in a serendipitous manner with a lace of intuition. This year was no exception as my favorite poet and artist, Morgan Harper Nichols, created an Instagram Reel of suggested words for the year. A screenshot determined my word this year, but I am certain it was meant for me (even if it were a millisecond between my word and another.)
I was clouded with so many fearful thoughts of the future, the what-ifs and I can’ts and worry-mixed-with-doubt. It was hard to gain clarity and even find out the truth in God’s sight: what is the best decision and next-right-thing? If only I could see through the fear, I pondered; what would that feel like? A sigh of relief, a breath of fresh air, and peace? Likely all of the above.
Discernment is a tool in our spiritual arsenal – one of the Holy Spirit gifts to us. It guides us to the will of God, which is to say the best possible outcome for us.
This year I choose blossom as my Word because it represents my intention to grow from the roots I planted as a new creation in Christ (2 Corinthians 5) and build back what was broken through the vehicle of relationship.
It was the morning of the most important interview of my career; with emotions running haywire and hormones adding a dizzying effect, I decided that I just couldn't go to my interview that afternoon. The fear shouted so loudly that I couldn't hear the voice of wisdom that knew to show up despite the very big feelings. This was my dream job, after all!
Last week we spoke about the sneaky feelings that cause those very bad, no good days; but what about the absence of feeling? I’m talking about apathy, a symptom of depression, when we feel nothing, care about nothing and want to sleep all the live long day. What I’ve learned about depression is there’s an antidote to apathy and it’s called action. Of course, action is the last thing we want to do when depression robs us of our zest. But it is also the solution to our apathetic state.
If we are focused on our problems then we can’t be in the frame of mind where solutions arise. Solutions arrive when we stop trying to force something to happen in the way we would have it and go with the flow of life. Focusing on problems is a perspective that finds what’s wrong with our situation, rather than what’s right or what could possibly solve the dilemma we find ourselves in.
I may have encountered my favorite book of all time. I never thought I’d find myself saying this; sure, I have thoroughly enjoyed books: The Help, Matilda, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Eat, Pray, Love and Broken Open, but they never felt like the favorite of all time. That all changed when I decided to read A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle. The piece of fiction is true literary gold, which is to say that the author was anointed by the writing gods when she both got the idea for the book and carried the novel out in ingenious fashion. It’s no wonder there’s a gold seal on the cover, the John Newberry Medal, an homage to the anointed nature of the book.
I recently found myself experiencing more “bad” days than “good ones,” a natural response given certain circumstances in my life. As a bonafide optimist, with a motto like “No bad days” lingering in my mind, I had to remind myself that those tough days are normal, expected even, especially given the seasons we might be swimming through.
