I’ve always been intrigued by people who select a “word of the year”. I love reading their posts about how they come to that particular word selection, but I’ve never felt inclined to hop on that bandwagon. I guess it’s a little of the rebel in me…not wanting to “be like everybody else”…not wanting to ride the wave of the next trend. However, I’ve recently discovered there is value in choosing a word for the year. Stick with me for a few minutes, as I unveil what led to my choice for 2020.
In my last post, I shared about how I’ve just recently come out of a period in my life I’ve dubbed “The Pause”. To say it was a difficult season is an understatement. I came face-to-face with grief in an unhealthy way. I developed many strongholds that kept me deep in bondage. I literally experienced a couple years of life in which I no longer knew the woman in the mirror. I allowed the enemy to rob me of precious time, peace, prosperity, wisdom, and ultimately…joy. I hated who I had become.
But God… When He delivers, He delivers big time! He waited patiently for me to crawl back to Him, in search of complete healing. When I finally did so, He picked me up, dusted me off, washed and cleansed me through the redemptive blood of Jesus and set me back on firm ground. And, as I’ve been walking out this “deliverance”…this healing…this time of restoration, I’ve sensed in my spirit His nudging to go back and reclaim my life. RECLAIM…my word for 2020.
One definition of reclaim is to “retrieve or recover (something previously lost, given, or paid)”. That is ultimately what I feel led to do. In the book of Joel (chapter 2, verse 25), God makes a firm promise.
“I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust have eaten, ”
I so love this promise, and I’m claiming it for myself as I step out to begin the journey of reclaiming the last few years that the “swarming locust” in my life have devoured. The fighter in me has risen back up from the ashes of defeat. I’m armed and ready for battle, and with God going before me and being my rear guard, the warrior in me is marching out to reclaim all that has been stolen from me by the enemy. Some of it I freely gave to him, but I feel even that is being restored as God guides me in this battle to take it back.
I don’t know how this will all play out this year, but I’m choosing to allow RECLAIM to guide me daily. It will serve as a filter, of sorts, through which I can use to guide me in decision making. For example, I can pose the question before saying “yes” to the next ask that comes my way, “Will this aid in my journey to reclaim the lost years, or will this simply be a distraction to all God has planned for me?” There are so many good things…so many good opportunities, but I only want God’s best for me. I only want His plans for me. I want to be walking directly in the center of His will for my life. The plans I made for myself only brought heartache. Gone are those days. God is doing a new thing!
I am reclaiming all He had prepared for me that I squandered away. How about you? Do you have a “word for the year”? Do you have a new goal you feel led to focus on this year?
Leave a Reply