I hope I gave you a chance to think about the possibilities for your year with the Lord. SO, what’s my word for the year 2020?!? After a few months, and my December exploding in my face taking both my health, my peace, and my voice along with it, I got it! Unfortunately I am one of those people who needs extremes to make changes.
Intentional is my word this year. Intention with focus. My year is going to be divided up into quarters of deliberately taking care of myself. I have allowed urgent to over ride the important this past year and God has had a hard time speaking to me through that. I want to be intentional with my hours to honor my creator, my mind, my body, my spirit, my family and my ministry.
My first focus will be intentional rest. This rest is different from my first time focusing on rest. This is physical rest! I will be in bed at a decent hour with screens off and away well before then so my body knows that it’s time to sleep. I will take breaks while I work to allow my whole self to reset and come back to my task with fresh eyes. My exercise during this time will focus on walking outside when possible and yoga. These two forms of exercise bring me to quiet places where I can pray and block out work for a period of time during my day. It gives my thinking mind a break as I look out and enjoy creation on a walk, or bring my focus in with yoga noticing what’s going on with my body. I’m also working on keeping a Sabbath, even though it means I have to plan and work harder before that day so I can do exactly that.
God designed physical rest himself from the beginning of time. And by that I mean literally when God started the clock by creating day and night. Scripture says that God looked on all he had made and said it was good and then on the 7th day, he rested. Check this out!
In Genesis 2:2 it says, “By the seventh day God had finished all the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work.”
In Exodus 31:17 it says, “…for in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day he rested and was refreshed.” REFRESHED!!! Amen!
In Exodus 20:11 it says, “…Therefor the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.”
When God called me to the ministry it involved Sunday services, and finding a Sabbath is a challenge! I have to overcome this if I am to continue to love my calling. I can’t pour into anyone if my well is empty, and exhaustion is an old dry well that only rest can refresh! Many of us are exhausted and need this. It’s hard to live in a culture that celebrates the hustle, the fake it till you make it, the false sense of control, and the want to have it all lifestyle. I’m excited to bring it in and see God’s faithfulness in a very tangible way this year!
So there you have it…an Intentional 2020! Let’s go God! Let’s get intentional! I can’t wait to see what happens! And if you delve into a word for the year, I’d love to hear about it! Share in the comments!
He is good, faithful and true!
Jennifer Leja 