A few years ago, probably more than a few years, but, it feels like a few years, I started picking a word for the year. I read about it in some article, I don’t even remember where or who the article was written by, or maybe I saw it on an early morning television show? I guess it doesn’t matter.
Earlier this year I was talking to my husband, and I was asking him if he picked a word, sometimes he does and sometimes he doesn’t. One year, he picked kiss for his word. I asked him why, he said, “because I don’t kiss you enough”, which I thought was sweet. He’s sweet like that. Nothing struck him because he hasn’t mentioned a word to me. Nothing struck me either because it’s almost March and I still did not have a word but over the last couple of weeks a word keeps popping up over and over, or maybe it’s just a frame of mind?
It’s not like it was bothering me that I didn’t have a word. It seems sometimes, a thought percolates in the back of your mind and just keeps percolating until something pops up.
Over the last few weeks, the word/idea of forward keeps popping up, in likely places, like church, in unlikely places, like a random conversation with a random person. I think Jesus talked to us a lot about living in the present and moving forward with faith. I think He talked about those things because He knew it was human nature to look ahead, look behind and to get stuck. A friend once told me that when you look ahead, you can feel anxious. When you look behind, you can feel sad. When you stay in the present it is harder for those feelings to attack you. I have actually found this to be very true.
You can find passages all over the bible in the Old and New Testaments with this idea of moving forward. In Philippians 3:13-14, it says, “ forgetting what lies behind but straining forward to what lies ahead, I continue my pursuit toward the goal, the prize of God’s upward calling, in Christ Jesus. In Isaiah 43: 18-19 it says, “Remember not the events of the past, the things of long ago consider not; See , I am doing something new!” There are many more. I find it interesting that this theme is running throughout the length of the Bible and I find it very comforting.
Today, I had to take my sweet husband to Urgent Care. He woke up clammy and weak, said he was dizzy, and things were spinning. Last time that happened he ended up passing out in the bathroom and I had to call an ambulance, so I called in a substitute and told him I’d drive him over to Urgent Care. I didn’t get a lot of push back, which was unusual, so I knew he was not feeling well. I was worried, we haven’t had much luck this season, it’s been tough. All I could think selfishly was that I needed him to be ok, I needed nothing to be seriously wrong, because through this particular season of loss we have been through, he has been steady and true, comforting and loving and always reminding me that God always takes care of us. He has a steady and sure faith in God, a love for Jesus and I love this about him.
As we get older, I start to worry we have fewer days together in front of us, than behind and since the statistics aren’t on my side, I wonder how I would ever navigate this weary world without him. I hope not to find out anytime soon.
So we have been facing many challenges lately, I think Jesus is telling me to keep a forward mindset this year. To keep this word in front of me. Forward.
“Forward always Forward, God Will Provide”
So today for Jesus who speaks so clearly, for sending me this word, Forward and for my husband…I Give Thanks!
Long run up to 5 miles this past weekend. We want to find a race to run, but my daughter has track meets almost every Saturday in March, so we’ll see. KOR
Thankful Runner Girl 