Which brings me to 2018 and as much as I would like to just focus on 2019 I have to let go of the past so I can move forward. I would like to say that 2018 was a great year, but it was an average year. There was not a big event that drastically changed me, but instead it was the little things that opened my eyes to the changes that I need to make for 2019. So my year of focusing on others turned out to be a year of focusing more on my family and not others around the world as I thought and hoped it would be. My hopes of going on more mission trips was slashed every time I prayed about going on one God said no and with a broken heart I accepted his no. I wanted to be about others, but what God was telling me was the others he wanted me to focus on was my family. As my focus shifted from my view of others to what God wanted me to focus on my heart healed and I purposely spent time with my husband, my son and my daughter. As 2018 was in its final months, I published a book and I can’t wait to see what God has in store for 2019 concerning the book.
My word for 2019 is still as in be still. I honestly am not happy with this word. I want to do more than be still. I want to take on the world and make a difference for the kingdom. As I prayed for my word, and prayed some more because I wanted to be sure that still was really the word God was giving me, God revealed to me why he wanted me to be still. The first thing God showed me was this year is going to be full of changes. There have already been some changes that I am adjusting to concerning my grandpa and the other change is my son will be joining me Arp JH. As the year progresses I will have a freshman and a 7th grader and my already busy life will become even busier. I am excited to see those changes and praying for my children as we all know these years are not the easiest to get through. He not only wanted me to realize that but God also showed me how much I have been trying to control situations in my life instead of just being still and letting God work things out for me. He wants me to be still and allow Him to work in my life in all areas instead of me trying to force things to happen, for example my book interview that is coming in February. I’m not sure that I want to be still for a whole year, but I am sure that I want God in every situation that I face throughout the year, so if that means being still then I shall be still.
2019 will be a year of being still and not moving until God gives me the go ahead. A year that as I face many changes I will focus on The Word and allow Him to work. I wearily welcome the new year because of the fear of change, but I am blessed to live to see another year and I am excited to see how God works and teaches me to be still. We all know the verse, “the Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still”. (Exodus 14:14 NIV), but I like the New Living Translation version : ”The Lord himself will fight for you.Just stay calm.” He wants me to stay calm as I face these changes and allow him to do the work. He has revealed three more verses to me and those are as follows:
Psalm 37:7 - Be still in the presence of the Lord,and wait patiently for him to act. Don’t worry about evil people who prosper or fret about their wicked schemes.
Psalm 62:5 - Let all that I am wait quietly before God, for my hope is in him.
Job 6:24 - Teach me, and I will keep quiet. Show me what I have done wrong.
I believe that as we focus on God’s word more we see the wrongs that we have done and those wrongs that we do and we are more likely to change when we spend time in God’s word. As I spend time with God and wait for Him to work things out for me I pray that my heart will change and I will continue to grow spiritually. I want to trust God so that I can be different while being bold to make a difference for others all while being still. May God bless you in 2019! As always thanks for reading.
I want to share this song with you as I found it while praying about my word.
HillSong United: Be Still
