One Word for 2015, it's not too late

Someone called me calm the other day. Jon laughed and laughed. Isn't it funny the different impressions various people have of us? Some of you might even think I'm calm... This friend was referring in particular to labor and delivery, she said that since I'm calm I should be fine. "It's all about remaining calm and remembering to breathe." Jon did agree that I am calm during stressful circumstances, it's the little things that ruffle my feathers. 

Anyway, it's not "calm" that I wanted to share about today, exactly, it's another word. Right after Christmas our pastor spoke about choosing One Word for 2015 instead of making resolutions that are bound to be broken and soon forgotten. 

And my word immediately came to mind. It's a bit like calm, but I don't really want to be a calm person, there are times when passion is far more important than composure in my opinion. But it's similar...

The word I think the Lord has given me for 2015 is Gentle.

I had just read this article about fascinating, counter-intuitive to me, research following children for 32 years of their lives, showing that how parents respond to their baby and toddler's needs determines their success for decades in academics and relationships. At first I couldn't understand why meeting a child's every need would create an independent, functioning teen and adult, but when I thought about Angie and her neediness, I realized that not having her needs met reliably and gently for so many years, failed to build in her a confidence in adults to take care of her. If someone had addressed her requests sensitively when she was little, maybe she would trust that we are looking out for her best interests now, that not everyone's out to get her, that she doesn't have to be suspicious and doubtful of every intention, and that God is always good and faithful. 

With the fresh outlook of a new year, and the totally clean slate of the baby we'll start parenting next month, it seemed a good time to focus my tone, my actions, and my attitude on gentleness.

I thought about blogging all this on New Year's Day to stir some thought on what your One Word might be for this year, but then I learned there's a whole movement in this direction: http://oneword365.com/. And my dear friend Linda wrote a beautiful post about her second year with this approach, so I felt there was no need to say anything more.

...until, it got hard. The idea is that if you fall off the wagon with a resolution it's difficult to get back on, but with just One Word you can refocus with less discouragement. But on January 1st, when I already heard my voice, short and harsh, with Angie after she asked one too many nonsensical questions, I realized this was going to mean more than just deciding on a word, but a change God was going to need to work in me.

From scripture I know it's a work He agrees with:

"A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger." -Proverbs 15:1

What better way to stimulate the One Word I have for our family this year, Peace, than to defuse an escalating situation instead of rile it up.

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law." - Galatians 5:22-23

None of the fruit of the Spirit are passion, fervor, zeal, of which I am rarely lacking. But gentleness seems to be a theme which underlies many of them in patience, kindness, and goodness, of which I can use a lot of help from the Holy Spirit. As I interact not only with Jon, Angie, and baby Zy, but with other family, co-workers, strangers, the DMV, and other sometimes frustrating folks, what a great way to reflect Christ's love with a gentle response where one might be unexpected...

And finally, I want to seek Jesus in the less obvious places this year. I want to see Him everywhere, as he reveals Himself in gentle whispers...

"And as Elijah stood there, the Lord passed by, and a mighty windstorm hit the mountain. It was such a terrible blast that the rocks were torn loose, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire there was the sound of a gentle whisper.  When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave." -1 Kings 19:11-13

What's your One Word for 2015? It's not too late, you can still start now. There are tons of ideas on the links I shared above, or maybe God's already been laying something on your heart. You don't have to tell me yours, but you're welcome to help me with mine. Maybe we could encourage each other...