my word of the year

I love having a word of the year. A word that you just want to focus on and remember. A word that you want to live out intentionally over the next 12 months.

You can choose words like patience, fullness, intentional, love, growth, celebrate, etc. Or it could be a word that’s completely random but means a lot to you. Hearing people explain why they chose a specific word for the year is one of my favorite things to listen to!

TIP: Write your word down, put it on your desk, in your Bible, on your bathroom mirror, etc. so you can be reminded of it every day!

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For 2023, my word was walk.

I remember going into the new year with a heavy heart and navigating a really tough season of life. I wanted nothing more than to race through the pain and get to the other side; I wanted to close my eyes, count to three, and know that everything was going to be perfect again when I opened them.

But that didn’t happen.

Psalm 23:4 “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and staff they comfort me.”

The Bible doesn’t say “though I RUN through the valley.” It says walk. God walks with us through the valleys, through the seasons that seem impossible, through the times where we want to just run. But He’s also whispering to us along the way to open our eyes and look for the joys in the midst of the mess. He walks with us, grows us, and sanctifies us. I learned so much about myself and God when I decided to walk with Him rather than sprint toward any temporary happiness I could find. The valley is NOT the Lord’s dwelling place, so it won’t be mine.

This year, it was a little harder to choose a word. There was nothing that stuck out to me and nothing that I felt God was putting on my heart. My friend Erica was over at my house about a week ago and looked at me and said, “I think your word should be daughter.”

That morning I wrote a prayer, “Dear God, please show me clearly what word you are putting on my heart for the year. Reveal to me what you are trying to show me.”

And after Erica told me that, I slept on it, and in the morning, this is what I wrote in my diary.

“Dear God,

Lately, I’ve been feeling so insecure about my quietness or lack of knowledge and smart things to say in conversations. I let the world shape what I picture I should be instead of who I am and i’ve been allowing comparison to steal my joy. I am your daughter. I am a gentle and quiet spirit. God thank you for making me this way. Father, remind me each day that my identity is found in You. You say I’m precious, I’m loved, and I’m Your daughter. Help me to grow in that this semester. You are all things good and holy. Thank you for loving me when I feel unlovable. Amen.”

The whole time I was writing, the word daughter kept popping up in my mind. I knew that was what the Lord was trying to tell me. I’m learning to simply be His child. His daughter.

Ever since I was a little girl, a label was always placed on my head for me. I was always deemed the “good girl,” the “quiet girl,” the “isn’t that funny girl,” the list goes on. And as time passed, I found myself believing that I was only what people would say about me. Maybe you can relate.

I’ve been through some tough times in my life, and they forced me to grow up fast and with thick skin and thick walls.

(It’s funny because now there are no walls, considering I’m literally putting pieces of my diary on the internet. LOL the Lord redeems, let me tell ya.)

I was good at putting on a face when people would call me too quiet or too soft or whatever because it’s what I’ve been told all my life. But lately, for some reason, those labels have been bothering me. And it’s impossible to put on an “I’m fine” face with God.

With acknowledging these thoughts and this annoyance I could feel building up inside of me, I realized that I was putting my identity in the wrong places. I realized that the qualities that the Lord has blessed me with have become a burden to me.

Instead of looking at being quiet, meek, gentle, etc. with thankfulness, I was looking at them with spite.

my verse of the month:

1 Peter 3:4 “But let it be the hidden nature of the heart, that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God.”

If you’re a Christian, your identity is a child of God first and foremost. It’s not what labels people stick on you. Here’s your reminder to sit with God and ask Him to remind you of this every day. This year, I am learning what it looks like to simply be a daughter in every aspect. And being quiet-natured or soft-spoken isn’t a burden, it’s a gift.

so my word for 2024 is … daughter

And I’m excited to live that out this year.

A journal prompt for you:

What God-given qualities in yourself do you see as a burden or a hindrance? How can you lean into those qualities with the Lord instead of wishing them away?

What is your word for 2024? I want to hear your stories!!!!