I had one focus in 2022: To know God more.
Within a few days of 2023 I started praying about what my focus would be this year. I came across an Instagram post from a social media influencer I follow who has a word for each year. A word? A single, solitary word to be the main focus of your year? How does that work?
So I hesitated....maybe a little bit longer than I should have. What's next?
Pray about it.
Okay, God, I tried to keep it simple, If a word is where my focus needs to be, give me a word. Same prayer all the way into the start of the New Year.
My sister gave me a gift card for Christmas. If you're reading this now, you're probably wondering what on Earth that has to do with my prayer. I'm getting there. I promise.
The gift card was for this cute little locally owned coffee shop called Sweet Hart Coffee. It happens to be on my way to work. And I rarely ever stop for coffee on my way to work because we have coffee at work. But in a quiet moment that involves me learning to put myself first sometimes and provide myself some self-care while sticking faithfully to a well-maintained budget (thanks, Mom!) I decided I would stop for coffee on Wednesday morning.
Something else you should know about this sweet little coffee shop is that they put Bible verses on their cups. Yep. Little stickers that they adorn their cups with, no matter if the drink is cold or iced. I ordered The Marsha hot because I felt like it. I definitely recommend it. So i paid and the barista handed me my cup.
God said, Keep your focus on Me this year. And btw, your word for the year is peace.
This made me chuckle just a little bit because I've dealt with anxiety for years. Until a few years ago, I was taking traditional medicine for it. I felt like the medicine was causing unwanted side effects. I'm not here to discourage anyone who is currently receiving medical treatment to discontinue that - this was what worked best in my situation.
I had to laugh because I've come to the realization that the more I focused on God last year, the less I felt my anxiety bubble to the surface. The more I leaned on Him and laid those worries at His feet, the less sleep I lost over unimaginable tragic scenarios that more often than not only played out in my mind and never in reality. So why would I attempt to place my focus somewhere else in 2023? Silly me. And leave it to MY God, who without a doubt must possess a sense of humor to deal with me on a daily basis, to answer all of my questions in one fell swoop.
When we carry things that we aren't meant to carry, especially things of this world that we have no control over in the first place, we take the focus off of God and place it on ourselves. My anxiety won't allow me to focus on anything else when I'm consumed by it. Because I'm trying to maintain or gain a sense of control that I don't have and I never had it anyway.
God is in control.
I can let go of the anxiety and not be consumed by it. I'd rather be consumed by the peace that only He can bring anyway.
My story, Your glory
My pain, Your purpose
My mess, Your message
In all things I know You're working
-- Matthew West --
