God, the one and only—
I’ll wait as long as he says.
Everything I hope for comes from him,
so why not?
He’s solid rock under my feet,
breathing room for my soul,
An impregnable castle:
I’m set for life.
The year is winding down…thankfully. 2021 has not been my best year and I don’t imagine many people will put it in the top five years of their lives. And as I look forward to 2022, it’s that time when I choose a Word for the Year. I have been doing this since 2013 when life was so challenging and I chose the word HOPE. I don’t do things halfway so I found devotionals, plaques for my walls, jewelry, Christmas ornaments, tee shirts all with the word HOPE featured.
I gained so much that year that I have asked God to show me one word to focus on each year. The following year, 2014, the word was JOY because life had been rather joyless the year before. Each year the word builds on the previous year and God has been faithful to teach me new ways to incorporate the word into my life and heart, along with all the previous words.
As I was praying for His leading for 2022, the word SEASON resonated in my spirit. I looked up the word in the dictionary and found it is both a verb and noun. Several definitions are given for each but the definition that I want to incorporate for the verb is: to give a distinctive quality to as if by seasoning especially : to make more agreeable. The noun definition is: a period associated with some phase or activity of agriculture (such as growth or harvesting). The growth and harvesting is what caught my attention.
The pandemic has caused all of us to retreat into our own space and time. I miss the connection with people. (Interesting that my word for 2021 was CONNECT. It was hard to do.) However, the word SEASON is a reminder to me to look forward to what God has in mind for me next year. This quote from Chuck Swindoll says it well:
“When you accept the fact that sometimes seasons are dry and times are hard and that God is in control of both, you will discover a sense of divine refuge, because the hope then is in God and not in yourself.”
Changes have been made to our lives that will reverberate for years, yet God stays the same. I can count on Him for His strength, hope, and protection. He will bring about the growth my soul needs and a harvest for His purpose.
So what’s your word for 2022? I encourage you to do a little heart work and see what God has for you.