Involved

I don't make New Year's Resolutions...I never manage to keep them longer than about a week. Instead, every new year, I choose a new word to focus on for that year. I never know what the word will be, but it somehow just "comes" and I know it will be my one word for that year. In years past I have had a variety of words including "anticipation," "mercy," "move," and last year's word, "joy." About a week ago, my word for 2016 came to me during a service at church. The one word for 2016 is "involved."

In years past, I have found that my "one word" has developed in ways I might not have imagined. I think the first year I did this, my word for the year was "Hope" and to be honest it was one of the most difficult years I could remember...so when I choose my word, or to be more accurate, when my word chooses me, I know it is no small thing. It will mean far more than just a word on a page of my life...it is a compass that helps guide me.

So, what about this year's word - "Involved"? 

According to Google, as an adjective involved means "connected or concerned with someone or something, typically on an emotional or personal level," but I didn't really need Google to tell me this. I knew the moment my "word" came to me why this was my word for the year. It's time to start getting involved in life - really involved.

It's easy to get busy with just trying to survive and forget to get involved in the process. It's sort of that "time to make the donuts" rut that we fall into where we operate in auto-pilot mode and before you know it weeks, months, even years have passed and we wonder what happened to the time.

As we get older, it's also easy to fall into the thought pattern that we are no longer needed, that our best years have sort of passed us by. It gets easier to sit back and watch life happen because, let's be honest, we're kind of tired. It's easy to think that the "young" people can handle things, especially when they tend to think you and your ideas are more than a bit out-dated and old fashioned. 

But I'm pretty sure as a Christian, this mindset is simply not acceptable. I once said that every birthday is God saying He's not finished with you yet. With that in mind, I have to wonder what I can do to really get involved in life and with those around me this year. 

In the movie, "It's a Wonderful Life," Clarence the angel is admonished by Joseph that "If you're going to help a man, you want to know something about him, don't you?" This year, I want to get to know people...really know them. Not the acquaintance "know" that I have settled for the past few years. That has gotten me to this place of watching life go by. No, I want to get to know those around me. I don't want to simply be a by-stander in life...I want to get involved.

I'd love to tell you all that the word "involved" means, but honestly I'm pretty sure I won't know until the end of this year. Maybe I'll be able to write that blog this time next year.

For more information on finding your "one word" for the coming year, you can visit www.myoneword.org. I promise you it will be quite an adventure.

Galatians 5:13-14 (MSG)
It is absolutely clear that God has called you to a free life. Just make sure that you don’t use this freedom as an excuse to do whatever you want to do and destroy your freedom. Rather, use your freedom to serve one another in love; that’s how freedom grows. For everything we know about God’s Word is summed up in a single sentence: Love others as you love yourself. That’s an act of true freedom.