I prayed for a word and all I heard was Quiet....

#quietin2015
#joyin2016

I walked into one of my friend's homes and on her chalkboard was a verse.

10 For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

Ephesians 2:10New Living Translation (NLT)

Within the verse, the word Masterpiece was underlined. I told her I thought the verse was beautiful and asked her why masterpiece was underlined. Her answer changed everything that year.

My friend's mother, prays for a word for the year. A word that will encourage her, guide her..I'm not sure exactly how she goes about getting her word. Honestly, that's a journey we all have to figure out. So when she has her word, she uses it throughout the year to find a verse and at the end of the year, she gives her children gifts that correspond with the word and verse. so i guess that explanation didn't really change EVERYTHING..as I so dramatically put. It was more the process that I found myself in while searching for the word. that I think actually changed EVERYTHING.

It was January of last year, and I decided to make a New Year's resolution to start journaling. I've made this same resolution since I was 12 and since I don't have any jam packed journals laying around, its a common failed resolution. But in typical New Year fashion I began the process. It looks like this: set the alarm for 6:30am...get out of bed around 7:00am...drag myself to the coffee maker...and the picture is clear. I'm not naturally a morning person. 

So I began to pray for a word, something that might guide me through the year, a verse that had a message. All I kept hearing was Quiet. Be still. And in this quiet came a strength that surpassed all that was humanly possible.

 At the time, Michelle was very sick and most of my time was spent trying to be available to her or her girls. I could have never known how this year would change EVERYTHING. 

journal entry - January 19, 2015 

What's a word for this year?

slow

want

change

grow

quiet

That's it quiet

quite my life, quite my words, quiet my wandering thoughts, quiet time, quiet my soul, quiet all my answers, quiet all my quick solutions, quiet my free time. 

I had no idea how much this small little word would help me survive the death of my best friend to AML (Acute Myleoid Leukemia) and then my dad to the same cancer that same year. 

QUIET

In Quietness and confidence will be your strength. Isaiah

Last year, I was given a gift. Where I actually felt the tangible God that loves me. A voice spoke into me when I needed it most. 

My strength came from the quiet.