My One Word For 2014

Wholehearted

1. completely and sincerely devoted, determined, or enthusiastic

2. marked by complete earnest commitment: free from from all reserve or hesitation

adjective: having or showing no doubt or uncertainty about doing something, supporting someone, etc.

Merriam Webster online dictionary

It's a scary word, isn't it?  

It's a vulnerable word.  

It's an impossible word.

It's my One Word.

I didn't choose it. 

It chose me.

I heard it in Jeremiah 29:13 "...search for Me with all your heart."

I heard it in the words of my devotional..."In early adulthood my heart needed healing.  I knew God.  I served Him, but I ached for release...in my growing desire to please the Father, I realized I did not harbor a love for His Word.  I began asking Him to develop such a love within me.  As He did, something I never expected happened to me.  My heart began to heal.  I knew I was healthier.  I felt it.  I didn't begin studying God's Word so I could become whole, but I soon discovered that the more I sought His counsel, the more I healed."   (Taken from 'Whispers of Hope' by Beth Moore, published 2013, page 14)

I heard it as I prepared to teach Romans 7 in Sunday School this morning.  As the writer of the material asked the questions, "Who can put me out of this misery?  Who can rescue me from this body of death?"  His answer: "Only Jesus.  Only Jesus.  Only Jesus."  Talk about wholehearted living! 

Oh yeah, and when I got home and looked on my nightstand there lay a little book I've been meaning to read by Brene Brown.  "The Gifts of Imperfection: Letting Go of Who You think You're Supposed to Be and Embrace Who You Are"...and just after that title is one little line, 'Your Guide to a Wholehearted Life'.

She is the one who gave me the courage to share my One Word with y'all.  Two simple but profound sentences.

"Wholehearted living is not a onetime choice.  

It is a process."

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The Free Dictionary defines wholehearted as 'marked by unconditional commitment, unstinting devotion, or unreserved enthusiasm'.

In 359 days, when 2014 comes to a close, I want to be marked by Jesus.  I want my marriage to be marked by Jesus.  I want my relationships to be marked by Jesus.  I want my body to be marked by Jesus.

Just as I didn't live every day of 2013 experiencing 'shalom', I know that I will fall short (probably more times than not) in my goal to live 'wholehearted'.  But maybe having it in front of me will act as a reminder that it is possible.

The online Thesaurus says the antonyms of wholehearted are 'disinterested, insincere, unenthusiastic, halfhearted'.

I hope that these words become less and less a description of me...and that instead I learn to live with true courage, compassion and connection.

To Him be the glory if I am able to live even one wholehearted day before God and man!