Blog
“I was one way…and now I am completely different. And the thing that happened in between…was Him.”
Mary Magdalene, The Chosen
3 Ways to Find Your 2021 Word
Have you heard of people selecting a “word of the year”? Perhaps you have always wanted to have your own word, but you have been intimidated by adding another commitment, something else to hold you in a box. Or you think it’s cheesy, unnecessary practice and will just get in the way of your REAL New Year’s Resolutions, like reading 107 books this year or running a {virtual} marathon. You might be someone like me who already embraces the idea and have your word picked out. No matter who you are, if you aim to live intentionally in 2021, there is something here for you.
What I Learned in 2020
No doubt 2020 has taught us all lessons. We’ve learned practical things like:
Tips on looking our best on Zoom calls and the best angle to avoid other people in our homes
Proper hygiene practices like washing our hands (in case we didn’t know)
How to read a map for both pandemic spread and election results
Learning how many days in a row we can go wearing pair of leggings
Perfecting homemade sourdough bread
Ordinary Obedience
We make the heroes of stories invincible and the enemies super villains. The reality is most of us wake up each day with our intentions, our plans, our challenges, expecting life to turn out one way but experiencing something entirely different. I’ve been captivated with exploring the humanity and ordinariness of the overly familiar Christmas nativity characters. Of all years, I can relate to unexpected twists and turns. This is the year.
Joseph's Dilemma
As any responsible adult does upon relocating, I visited my local DMV. As you can imagine, it was a less than pleasant experience, as DMV visits tend to go. Due to covid, they are operating on an appointment-only schedule. Only so many people are allowed in the building, and as a result, the line was out the door, as they were running well behind schedule. And it was raining.
Shepherds Interrupted
The drama of the birth of Christ feels anything but peaceful to me. Angelic visitations and announcements. Scandalous conception. Escaping death threats by a tyrannical king. A government census imposed, causing long travel for a nine-month pregnant woman. There was no hotel room available and no medical care for birthing a baby, rather surrounded by barn animals and found a bed in a feeding trough. Noblemen journeying a great distance to pay homage, under a ruse from the king to find the baby and kill him. Ragged shepherds shouting in the streets about this birth.
Clues of Anticipation and Hope
As a child, I waited with anticipation for what would be under the tree each Christmas morning. Before I could read a calendar, clues and hints told me good gifts were coming. I was giddy with hope, daydreaming of curly ribbons and glittery paper hiding treasures of joy. The first clue came in October as stores start to put out their Christmas decorations. Mid-November brought sparkling lights glimmering like pixie dust along the darkened streets. Thanksgiving conversations led to Christmas itineraries.