"Such a day of small things, still, but on God's terms, and that is enough."
-Lilias Trotter, 1 January 1902
Early in December of last year I was making plans for the direction I wanted the coming year to go. In years past I have read about the practice of having a word for the year. I felt mine should be.....
BALANCE
Hence, the old-fashioned scales where you put weights on the other side to determine the weight of your purchase.
But then I came across the Lilias Trotter quote above and the blogger's thoughts on it (sorry, I copied the below quote without noting the author):
"The true challenge--perhaps the goal for this year--is to live out the practices and duties of the ordinary days with grace, beauty, and joy."I wondered if I should change my word because I thought her goal was what I was actually seeking. Upon further reflection, however, I realized the goal of living out the practices and duties of ordinary days with grace, beauty, and joy could only be achieved through.....
BALANCE
This morning I received this quote by Thomas Merton in my inbox:
"Happiness is not a matter of intensity but of balance and order and rhythm and harmony."
It would seem to live my ordinary days with grace, beauty, and joy my scale must be balanced with order, rhythm, and harmony.
So, what would this look like for me? I thrive on order and rhythm already, and harmony I always strive for. But what has been lacking this past year has been creative endeavors. I think it's because I'd gotten my hopes up too high about Gabriel's Tale--not only about my own illustrations, but that there'd be a genuine interest in the story. Then there were a few more disappointments along the way that I'm still grappling with involving social media. Add to those the ever-present turmoil in our government, natural disasters that pull at your heartstrings, and health crises of friends and family! No wonder I feel out of balance---or perhaps even unbalanced.....
So this year I resolve to see BALANCE on God's terms: grace, beauty, and joy in the small things of my ordinary days. Please join me on my blog I Come In The Little Things as I seek to restore balance to my life.
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Do you have a word for this year that describes what you hope your year will be?
The last two years my words came to me easily. It just continued to pop up, one year it was breathe, as I struggled to live with work, my mother moving in with us and Jim’s dementia. The next year my word also was balance as I attempted to keep some semblance of me in my life. This year it was harder. I started in December looking for my word. It just did not seem to be there. Finally, I decided on Grateful. It was probably there all along, I just was not seeing it. I retired, and I am grateful; my mother will be 96 in a few months and still managing to get around and plan her spring garden. And I am grateful for Jim and that I have fallen in love again with this stranger that I have been living with. I will not let this disease steal from me what I loved so much. I will be grateful for everyday we have left. I will be grateful for the joy we still have together. This will be my year of grateful!!
ReplyDeleteThere is nothing better, Cathy, than those ordinary days!
Chris Wells. West Texas
Chris, I am sorry to learn of your husband's dementia. It must be terribly difficult seeing someone you love struggle in this way. Perhaps Martha Ellen in her comment below is right--our Word chooses us. Being grateful in difficult circumstances is probably what we need most because it puts us in the place to receive God's grace.
DeleteCathy, considering what your family has been through with your youngest, ordinary days would surely be the balance I would be looking for. I know of one heart transplant, a young girl in our church, that I watched grow up. It has gone so well for her! It is amazing what can be done now. She met the donor’s family and has a special bond with them. I will keep you all in my prayers.
DeleteChris W
Thank you, Chris. Ben has a new lease on life but with new challenges now. I will keep you and your family in my prayers as well.
DeleteI've never been much for resolutions, 5-year plans etc. In job interviews, I always hated getting that question - the one nearly every interviewer on earth asks "What do you see yourself doing in 5 years?" Yawn [& time to think of some new questions, HR people]. It's probably a good idea to have a plan, and I'd never deny that for many people they work well & are super-useful. I've just never been much of a "looking on down the road of life" type. Aside from getting my teaching degree, I never really had long term plans. I tend to just take most days as they come, preparing for the things that are known as best I can, but not over-thinking what I want to be doing next week, month or year. Once I got to be a teacher, I had reached my goal - and I was happy to "coast" along from that point on. Overall, I think I was really lucky [& definitely not wildly-ambitious]. Maybe it depends on what one's goal is, especially if it's especially large. Someone who wants to be a millionaire, or the next Oprah, or President, or rule the world or whatever - that person should really have a plan or a strategy to accomplish whatever it is. Otherwise it would seem as though the odds - and the world - would work against them. Life is usually tough enough for those of us who are just muddling along. But for someone with a Grand Plan? Nah, that person should definitely sit down & sketch out some ideas, so to speak. So Cathy, does this mean you plan to post only on "I Come in the Little Things" this year? Hoping you & the family HAD a wonderful Christmas season and HAVE a healthy & very Happy New Year. ⭐️⭐️⭐️
ReplyDeleteI will post here if I feel inspired or if we travel to an interesting place. We had a very different Christmas this year. We celebrated the second weekend in December because two of our three sons would be in Mexico for Christmas. Then one of those sons (our youngest) ended up at Johns Hopkins Hospital on the 18th and was told he would need a heart transplant. They were able to do the testing needed to get him on the transplant waiting list by the 21st and a donor heart became available on the 28th. He is hoping to go home mid-week next week! Initially we were told it could take 3 to 6 months to find a match and that he'd have to stay in the hospital until then. Considering his blood type (only 6% of the population has it) and 6'3" body size had to be matched plus the donor heart had to be within 500 miles , it was truly amazing that he only had to wait a week. He has had this heart problem these last 5 years, so this truly was a wonderful Christmas season for us with the prospects of a healthy and very happy new year!
DeleteCathy, I'm sorry your expectations for Gabriel were not realized, it is a tough venue to enter into, especially in today's morally bankrupt culture that often does not appreciate sweet stories. Don't let that diminish your creative spirit, there are many more outlets for you.
ReplyDeleteMy word for this year is REVIVAL. Both physically and spiritually. It involves changing lifelong habits and replacing them with something better. An example: my morning routine for 20 years has been coffee and computer time. I quit coffee,(oh,the withdrawal headaches!)and replaced with herbal tea... (which is totally boring and I need to find a different morning drink) But the most important element is having replaced the morning computer time with Bible study. That's just a small part of my Revival,but it's a start.
Thank you, Jeri. Having my story called sweet by you, a wonderful writer/illustrator, is a lovely comment! Perhaps my problem is I don't live up to my own expectations. I've always been a dreamer and can imagine a life that is not always realistic. I love your word REVIVAL. I can see giving up computer time, but coffee?! In moderation, many things that might be bad for us can be good. That is the balance I'm trying to achieve. I've had a devotional time first thing in the morning (with a cup of coffee!) for many years which often leads me further into the Bible. I journal my thoughts and many times receive the answers I'm seeking by the time I finish. Being in God's Word, as I'm sure you have experienced, brings about a revival in us even if it's not our word for the year!
DeleteI know, coffee is life! yikes! I had no intention of giving it up, but decided to go on a 7 day water fast and no coffee is allowed. In order to prepare for the fast, I decided to quit the coffee a few days in advance so I wouldn't have to deal with a withdrawal headache while fasting. The headaches were SO bad, it convinced me to quit coffee for good.
DeleteVery glad your son is doing fine after his operation.
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DeleteBalance sounds like a wonderful word for you, Cathy. I know a lot of folks say a word chooses them. Perhaps that is the case for you! ♥
ReplyDeleteMartha Ellen, I shared what you wrote with Chris in my comment to her above. I'm sure you are right--my word found me because God knew that's what I need right now.
DeleteMy word for this year is kindness. GOD knows how much our World needs more of it. It saddens me to watch the news each day with all the hate, division, heartbreak, etc. We all need more kindness in our World.
ReplyDeleteI agree. That should be everyone's word ALL the time!
DeleteLove you!
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Dear Cathy I think Balance is a great word. It seems like in the world today we encounter many extremes. Isn't it wonderful to know God keeps all things in balance - even us :)! Hugs
ReplyDeleteI'm already being shown areas of my life I didn't realize where I was out of balance!
DeleteThere are so many words I like to consider in my new year... balance among them, but Love is the one leading me . It is foremost in all I am endeavoring to work with at this time in my life. Surely related to listening to God to lead me in the direction of the days , each hour unfolding his grace. I am a writer, artist , and have a prayer practice , so it is so important to learn the balance yes, and undergird that with the divine Love and seeing it in all and knowing I am made in the image and likeness of God. I am so grateful for that concept and it helps me along the way to be more joyful... so you see here comes the word joy now. For me the balance , the Love the joy the order and surely spirit of it all, bound together for me yes, with the balance leading me too .. will just allow me to really evolve and change releasing old patterns of self doubt and fear, and just enjoy the life I have to the utmost. Here is a favorite quote of mine from a friend of mine and writer and teacher, Mark Swinney:" Love is supreme. No circumstance can overpower it. It is our sole supply o self worth. To be thoroughly grounded in my conviction that divine love is the only actuality then I am master of any situation and no circumstance can overpower if love be supreme in thought. So I could not pick one word.. but integrate all for myself . Gratefully , Merri
ReplyDeleteYou can't go wrong with LOVE!
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