Tuesday, January 1, 2013

My Word for 2013

My word for 2011 was "Peace".  I prayed for peace a lot.  In praying for peace I was not exactly sure how God would bring peace into my life.  At times, I wasn't even sure he would.  Except that He promises that we will have peace - not as the world has peace.

For 2012 we were looking at having our fourth child so in my mind I knew we needed to move out of our "small" house.  We got the house ready to sell by April - listed it and within a month we had had two offers.  If you have been reading my blog or if you know me - then you know - I had a baby - we moved out of our house then found out the sale fell through and then moved back into our house in a 3 week span.

I think I just functioned and did what I had to do and then I just kept going and then something hit me.  It started small at first.  A scary thought here, a panicked feeling there, an anxious moment - and then the darkness hit.

It overcame me.  I was barely functioning and having many panic attacks.  I wasn't eating (which NEVER EVER EVER happens to me) and I wasn't sleeping.  I had no peace.  I had no rest.   And honestly my life was good.  I had no major things going on.  I couldn't figure it out.  I had never gone through this before.   I won't go into all the details now, maybe later, but I certainly wasn't getting the peace I had prayed for.  So I prayed harder.  I prayed longer.  I prayed more than I had ever prayed in my life.  I spent 3 or 4 or 5 or 6 hours a night in serious prayer. 

I also called, texted or e-mailed close people in my life who I knew would pray for me and encourage me.  I cannot tell you what it did for me to have these people praying for me and to have them sometimes daily text me or call me with verses that I grasped onto.  I normally hold things in and don't tell anyone what is going on but I knew I needed help and I needed them. 

I told you all of that to tell you - once this storm passed and it did pass - I had peace.  I had peace like I have NEVER had in my life.  God gave me incredible peace.  He gave me the peace He had promised but in a way I could not have imagined.  And because of this my word for 2013 is

Encouragement

The encouragement I received from my husband - from my Godly friends literally felt like it saved my life.  I want to be that to others.  I want to be the encourager.  We all could be complainers.  We all have something we could complain about but I don't want to be known as a complainer.  I have everything to be thankful for.  I want to do for everyone what these wonderful people did for me.  So I give you full permission to hold me accountable.  If I start being discouraging remind me of my word.  Encourage me - encourage each other!

This is my verse for the year:

22 Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed,
Because His compassions fail not.
23 They are new every morning;
Great is Your faithfulness.
24 “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,
“Therefore I hope in Him!”

Lamentations 3:22-24

His compassions fail not - they are NEW every morning.  If we fail today - His compassion and mercy is new and fresh for us - the very next morning, as soon as we wake up.

And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, 25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.  Heb. 10:24-25



 

3 comments:

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  2. I had a feeling something was going on with you. I've been there myself and it can be so hard. I praise God that He carried you through it and your faith has been strengthened. That's what He does:)

    Encouragement is a wonderful thing. I'm sure you will be encouragement to many this year.

    Happy New Year!

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