souldare

Taste and see that the LORD is good.

Oh, the joys of those who trust in him!

(Psalm 34:8 NLT)

The strange adventure of the unexpected and the unplanned continues. Usually, I spend focused time reflecting on the past year and asking God for direction for the next year. This season just did not work out that way. Our days filled with celebrating each event, nourishing ourselves with scrumptious goodies and delighting in each other’s company. (Don’t get the wrong idea, I did plenty of fretting, complaining and wishing the holidays would fall into oblivion.) I had to write the words: celebrate, nourish and delight on our fridge message board, so when I headed down dreary lane, I could remind myself what I wanted for this season, which included choosing to celebrate, nourish and delight in each event, day, person or whatever came.

January 1st arrived with no particular guiding word or Scripture or reading plan. I just brewed my coffee, added a dollop of leftover homemade whipping cream and a dash of grated nutmeg. With warm cup in hand, I bemoaned the fact that my new year resolve was missing in action. After getting cozy in my “new to me” overstuffed chair, I stared at the piles of books on the ottoman.

Over the past month, I had gathered new books that could go on my reading list: Enjoying the Presence of God by Jan Johnson and Grace Walk by Steve McVey. My two “go-to” devotions were there: Jesus Calling  and The Language of Letting Go. A new book on art journaling and a two-year discovery journal (Building the Best YOU) that I found on clearance at Barnes and Noble beckoned to me. And in the basket nearby, the One Year Bible and a blank journal to record the quotes, Scriptures and insights that I will discover this year. In a few moments, I realized God cares more about my spiritual well being than I do.

A sweet joy overtook me, as I acknowledged that God delighted in my discovery: He was the one who lovingly prompted me to stack these books at my feet, so that in this next season, I could sit listening at His feet. Each book in the pile, felt like a gift chosen just for me. Even the quote on my perpetual calendar echoed my heart’s cry on this first day of the year, which often holds so much expectation:

I still find each day too short for all the thoughts I want to think, all the walks I want to take, all the books I want to read, and all the friends I want to see. The longer I live, the more my mind dwells upon the beauty and wonder of the world. (John Burroughs)

As the day closes, I am thankful for His care. And tomorrow, I will share how He gave me seven, no eight words for 2014 and then distilled them down into one!