Wednesday’s Word

Welcome to Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power and Trench Classes United. It’s our first 

Wednesday of the New Year and I’m so happy you chose to set aside a couple of minutes for some encouragement in your journey from my heart to yours.

This time of year always leaves me a bit nostalgic. Now, I don’t make New Year’s resolutions, per say, but I do choose anywhere from one to three words to live by for the year, and they usually involve areas of my life that need improvement. This year I have two: balance and gentleness – that last one has been a work in progress for over five years now! There are certain times when I dare to look back on how I handled a trouble or trial and I still see a bull in a china cabinet! J So until that vision is no longer there, gentleness will be something on my “to-learn” list.  

Balance is something I yearn for, and I love one of the Merriam Webster’s definitions for it which is: “mental and emotional steadiness.” We can’t have emotional or mental steadiness when we are not staying in the moments. The older I get, the more I want to stay in the moments, not only that, but while in the moments, I long to push pause so I can enjoy them even longer, like when my son and daughter-in-law came out the day after Christmas with our grandchildren. Oh, I can still hear the echoes of their laughter, such a beautiful noise.

I saw something on Facebook last week as I was scrolling through my newsfeed and I thought it was worthy of sharing with you. It’s from a sweet sister, Diane Huntsman who definitely has a gift for sharing her heart:

“I'm one of those who love New Year’s resolutions. The fresh start and motivation to make changes just gets me super stoked. I don't go into the New Year expecting to fail; I go in eager to try to make needed change in my life. I think where we tend to fail or fall off the New Year’s resolution wagon is keeping the patience it takes to really bring about true change. Think about this: when a doctor gives a diagnosis for a heart that's in bad shape and in danger of heart failure, the patient has to get serious about life changes, changes that take time, dedication, and include daily choices to eat different, exercise, get rid of as much stress as possible, on and on.

“Most change does not happen at the push of a button, a snap of the finger or even a twinkle of an eye or twitch of the nose J  When we want that beach body, we can't just eat right and work out for a week; it takes a lifestyle change, tons of workouts and daily denying self of unhealthy eating habits. Changing our spiritual heart is no different; it takes time, time spent in the presence of Christ, time spent renewing the mind in truth, time spent with Christ-like individuals who mentor us in the ways we are to emulate.

My long-winded speech here is simply this: Our instant society has convinced us that change can occur instantly; however, that is not the case for so many things. So many really important changes take time, dedication, denying self and patience in the process. We can't just give up when we don't see the results as fast as we want to”…

Yes, I agree with Diane, that we’ve become a microwave society, push a button and get it done! And when it doesn’t happen, oftentimes we throw in the towel. But I have such good news for you: whether making New Year’s resolutions, or wanting to focus on a word or two to bring about change in our lives and hearts, we can succeed if we take this truth in and let it root in our heart and bloom in our life. It has to do with the root word for resolve, which is also part of the root for resolution: reso, and its meaning in Hebrew is astounding, the best kept secret ever. “reso” means: To partner with the Holy Spirit!

So whether it’s a word or two or a resolution, why not invite Him into the change…you will be amazed and that’s a promise!
Love,

Evinda