I’m not one who usually writes those word-for-the-year posts. I don’t even make New Year resolutions. I don’t usually discern my theme/motto/phrase/word until partway through the year. But this year is different.Who knows? Maybe I’ll have a new theme in the middle of the year as well.
Maybe it is because I haven’t done any goal planning this year. Maybe it’s because I feel the change in life seasons occurring. But I have chosen a theme. This is something that I struggle with yet it is also really important to me.
I want to be fully present in every moment.
A few years ago I learned a little about the Amish way of life. The Amish move throughout their day in an unhurried fashion. They don’t rush through the housework so that they can get on to the ‘more important tasks’. To them, everything is important. They give their undivided attention to whatever it is that they are doing at that time.
Enjoy today, it won’t come back.
~Amish proverb
I want to honour the ordinary, to be fully present in the moment… to savour the little pockets of time that so often go by unnoticed. I want to fully engage with whatever it is that my hands are doing at the time. I want to connect all parts of me – head, hands and heart.
Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men,
~Colossians 3:23
I don’t see myself slowing down this year. In fact, I may very well be busier than I have in many years. So when I am talking to my children I want to be fully present with them. Not with one ear for them and yet my mind be wondering about that nights tea. When I am blogging or designing I want to be fully present in doing just that. When I am doing dishes I want to do the dishes. With purpose.
No more distinctions between the sacred and the ordinary for the ordinary is sacred unto the Father. I’m going to enjoy the process – whatever process. I’m going to slow down mentally and give each task my utmost attention. I’m going to do one thing at a time. I’m going to cherish the moments. Seconds become minutes. Minutes become hours. Hours become days. Days to weeks and weeks to months. Before I realise it another year’s closing is fast approaching. Another year in which my children are older. Another year closer to them becoming adults, leaving home, sharing their lives with their special someone.
Many times throughout my life I have felt like the days just dragged on. Yet amidst the days the years simply flew by. One year my eldest daughter was in nappies and cuddling her special teddy and then next year she walked down the aisle to spend the rest of her life with her special man.
What is your theme, phrase or word for 2012? Or maybe you are like me and don’t usually do the coming year. If so, what was your word/phrase for 2011?
Mine is JOY because I feel so beat down by life right now. It is hard to watch those around me struggle with pain, disease, and death, while I also am struggling with pain issues. I want to see the grace in it. I know I am blessed, I just want to be joyful even when life seems really hard.
Hi Marisa,
Lovely but poignant. And I understand, at least in my own way. Maybe it’s because I’m getting older and my season of homeschooling is coming to a close but I am getting frustrated with much that I see around me lately. I want to DO something, to help, to serve others in need. Yet for now, this is where I am. And there are lessons to be learned in it for me. I hope I have the ears to hear and eyes to see. Thanks for stopping by.
I confess that I do like to have some New Year’s goals to work towards. My spiritual one is based on Hebrews 3:13. I want to be more responsive to the Spirits promptings and pray for and/or call and encourage people as he brings them to mind. The words ‘encourage’ and ‘daily’ have been jumping out at me from that verse (I was reading it in the NIV). I know I don’t speak my appreciation as much as I could/should.
And my other goal is to try very hard not start anything new this year but rather to complete projects I’ve started and never finished (and believe me there are heaps). I’ve haven’t set any deadlines as life is unpredictable when it comes to busy and slow times. I’ll be happy knowing that each project finished is one less thing hanging around. I also want to look at each half begun project realistically and truthfully face whether I will really get around to finishing it and whether it really even matters. Maybe even passing on, throwing out or writing off some things.
So yeah, they’re my goals for 2012.
Hi Lis,
Lovely to see you here on my blog. Hey no confessions needed for having a NY goals. Good for you! If they are working for you and they help you- great! We used to do them as a family, personal, financial, health, academic and spiritual, etc.
Hebrews 3: 13. Beautiful! There’s something to be learned in there, for sure. 🙂
Ahh, completing projects? Let’s not talk about that, eh? That is one of my weaknesses. Actually, I don’t even get half way through a project – I just don’t quite get around to starting. I’m one of those – GunnaDoItOneDay people. Thanks for stopping by 🙂
This is very encouraging Susan for you and for all of us who read it. It does give us also to reflect on our journey of life what it ought to be and how it should be lived. My favourite verse that I live by daily (in victory) is 2 CORINTHIANS 4:8..”WE ARE HARD PRESSED ON EVERY SIDE, BUT NOT CRUSHED…”. I find that in every minute of my day this verse comes back to me to strengthen me and help me to stand against the constant warfare which we face every day! I’ve learned after many struggles of my own that I should just ..live in HIS will and not my OWN….
God bless your path as you live in the moment….xxoo
Hi lovely Lina,
I love seeing you over here at my place 🙂
It is not the first time you have written 2Cor4:8. 🙂 Thanks for your encouragement, lovely.
Don’t do N.Y resolutions . Doing the other thing ~ with some interesting results so far that I may blog when we are all done : )
Ganeida, I’d love to hear about *your other thing* when you’re ready. All in good time though. 🙂
My commitment for the year is: “But Godliness with contentment is great gain.” I can identify very well with your post. It is very difficult for we multitasking Mummas to be focused on one thing, or one person at a time! One thing that has come of being chronically ill, I have no choice. I have to focus else I can not achieve anything 🙂 hence the need for contentment.
May God bless you endeavours and give much fruit in you life and family through it. xo
Hi Ruby,
I know you’ll relate because you also have older children… time passes so quickly. OTOH, I don’t multi task well. I mean, I know we all do it, even I do but I don’t do it well. I get what you’re saying about being chronically ill… my own walk through life is hugely impacted by my ill health. Having low functioning thyroid and anaemia and other stupid stuff has totally affected my clarity. I vague out all the time, which is WHY I need to practice on doing one thing well.
I hope and pray you too have a rich, productive 2012 – drawing nearer to the Father all the time.
Oh,oh oh, so timely! A word fitly spoken! Tomorrow I’ll be having a procedure done to find out if I have uterin cancer. Within the last few days since I got the news that I have symptoms that may elude to the possibility, I have seen my long, and boring days as very short and sweet. I have four beautiful kids, who all love the bible, and a very loving , godly husband that spoils me every day. I live a very simple life, but have never appreciated it to the fullest! I see my life as numbered, and I also see my life as wanting to leave a legacy of love, tenderness, kindness, perseverance, and most of all, Christ centered. I want my children to cling to Jesus. Just today I unplugged the TV and put on worship music. I watched my only five year old daughter put a puzzle together while moving her mouth to the songs. I danced with my two year old son to a worship song, and rocked him to sleep. I watched my eight year old special needs child run around the house. And I thank the Lord for my oldest son who is fourteen, who asks if he can become a theologian. My hands are full of blessings, and for years I just complained. I pray I don’t have cancer, because I want a second chance to make a difference with my time, and with my family. I want to teach, and reach them for Jesus! I want to pray for my husband like never before, and I want to share like never before, and I want to love like never before. I want to cherish every moment!
Oh Jannette,
How scary. Even though He holds us, our lives and our time here on earth in His hands, it is still scary. Thank you for commenting as I’ll be praying for you now that I know. Do you mind if I ask some of my online friends to pray too? No names necessary for Our Father knows.
Susan
(crying and praying…)
Thank you Susan! I am great ful for any prayers. I suffer from a disease called endometriosis, a disease that causes infertility and is a very painful disease. I am so thankful that the Lord allowed my husband and I to have four children. We also have two in heaven from miscarriage. Please pray that I have the Lordspeace, that I seek Him more diligently, drawing close to Him, and that I don’t have cancer. Nevertheless, because I am the clay, not my will, but His be done. You can go to my blog to see a picture of my family.
Ladies,
Please join me in prayer and uphold Jannette before our Father.
(Read her comment here so you know how to pray)
Prayers for Jannette today. Let us know the outcome so we can know how to continue in prayer. May God uphold you, Jannette whatever the tests show. “Thou will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind in stayed on him (God)”
Praying Janette. xxxxxxx
Susan, I so hear what you are saying. one person asked what my one word for the year would be and I thought, play. Then I asked God what my word should be and the word Courage flooded my mind and all other thoughts seemed to stall for quite a while; my mind was just full of that word.
However, I keep feeling the same passionate hunger for being in the moment—you said it so well. The same theme seems to be coming to me at the moment too. I was writing a farewell letter about my Brother in law who died just before Christmas and was struck by the truth in his daughter’s words…He was a man who did things in his own time. He tended his family, his garden, his friends. He took time and he was present and was their “rock”. He tended my sister for 13 years as she slowly left us through Alzheimers disease.
Then as I travelled home yesterday I was listening to the God Journey podcasts, Again I kept hearing the message about being in the moment; being present with all who are around you; tending relationship with people and our Father. That is the work I feel called to.
I hunger to be present and in the moment with my children. All too often I have not been as present as I would wish and in my time away with my son, his wife and my precious granddaughter I was working hard on being in the moment, being present. For an Ultra ADD person like me it is now always easy, but I am making progress.
I also know what it feels like to face death and know how precious every moment is. I wake with a prayer of thanks each day and think more fully about what the day brings, I savour sitting on my verandah enjoying creation and I want more. I want to savour the everyday tasks and hoour them as the works I am called to do.
I am going to put what you said on my mirror and in my diary to read every day
“I want to honour the ordinary, to be fully present in the moment… to savour the little pockets of time that so often go by unnoticed. I want to fully engage with whatever it is that my hands are doing at the time. I want to connect all parts of me – head, hands and heart.”
Thank you xxxxxxxxxx
I think my word needs to be COMMITMENT 🙂
Excellent post. As I was reading it it brought back memories of a video seminar I did around 7 years ago about the Jewsih people and their faith. This is the way they see life. Everything is sacred. It is so contary to our western way of thinking. It was quite liberating. Thank you for the reminder I had forgotten.
Blessings to you and may He help you LIVE the moment.