My word for 2012

"All my longings lie open before you, O Lord." 

Psalm 38:9

My good friend Alex, recently wrote a blog about the idea of coming up with 3 words for the New Year. The main purpose of the words is to help set the course for where you hope to go and what you hope to achieve in the coming year. 

I also had the opportunity to attend/work a conference at Pine Cove over New Years and to hear from a great leader and Camp Director, Craig “Dutch” Langemeier. During his chat with the staff, he mentioned focusing in on one character quality that we hope to grow in over the next year.

I could think of several areas that I would love to grow in. But, instead of making a lot of lofty goals and becoming over committed and in the end getting burnt out and giving up on all of them…I’ve decided to commit to one word.

After a lot of thought and prayer, I have decided that my word is contentment.

I hope to share with you in this post why I have chosen this word for my life, and then in another post that will shortly follow I want to share some thoughts about contentment.

When I look at my life, most often I think, "This isn't where I thought I'd be at 25!". I have a strong desire to be a wife and a mother. I've spent pretty much all of my life as a single person and now I'm 25 and I start to wonder, "Ok God. Did you forget about me?"  Right now, this is the biggest thing I struggle with, but I could name other areas in my life where I’ve let discontent creep in.

The frightening part about this is that, I feel like because I’ve been sitting and waiting around for that next step in my life, I’ve been missing out on so many opportunities! I’ve also been missing out on all the satisfaction that comes from fully knowing God!

I know this is going to be a difficult journey for me over the next year, but I know it will be worth it in the end. Paul said in Philippians 4, ”I have learned how to be content with whatever I have.”  It is a learning process, it doesn’t come to us naturally. This brings up my next point, I do have a secondary word which is discipline, because I know this isn't possible without it.

I want to spend time focusing in on God and continuing to learn that everything I desire and everything I need is hidden in him! Also, instead of waiting around for that next step in my life or for that next thing, I want to focus in on the opportunities I have right now and start serving and doing now! 

"Each one should retain the place in life that the Lord assigned to him and to which God has called him."

1 Corinthians 7:17