A Nagging Theme

As you may be able to tell from the timing of this post, the New Year took me a bit by surprise this year. As it turns out we spent the crucial countdown minutes into the New Year in line at the train station waiting for an overdue train. In the waiting, the moment could have passed by unnoticed, unspectacular. There were no flashy lights or big count down. There were a lot of tired people, crying babies, a quick celebratory kiss and a whoo-hoo and the moment was over. (We probably haven't kissed in front of that many people since our wedding!)

As the scenery whisked by the next morning my mind wandered through the events of the previous year and slowly chugged into the new.
How had last year gone? What were the highlights? The surprises? Areas of growth? Areas of failure? Habits formed? New friendships? Favorite foods, movies and books?

Would I make a resolution this year? Did I have a goal? A dream?

I am invigorated by fresh starts and am motivated by goals. The older I get (I'll talk about that another time!) the more I realize that moments are the important character defining opportunities in my faith and relationship to God. I need intentionality in my life to stay focussed. The New Year is one of those natural times that allows for creative, deliberate direction. So, true to myself I did make a resolution. I also have a goal I'd like to meet, several in fact.

I enjoy hearing about others perspective on the New Year. One author I follow picks a word for each year and contemplates that idea for the year. I really like that idea and wondered about a word that I might ponder. Only the longer I thought about it the more I realized that there is one that has been nagging me for awhile. It has been spoken into me through prayers, people and quiet times.
The word?

Perseverance.

I suddenly didn't want a word, especially one so difficult sounding. However, it is the word that fits right now. When I rolled other words around the stories of my life they seemed peripheral just like trying to climb into someone else's life or dream. Knowingly waiting for the wrong train won't get you to the right destination.

At the outset perseverance doesn't seem very *exciting*! However, Romans 5:3-5 says that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character hope. And hope does not disappoint us.
It appears there is a gift to seek in this word; perseverance. By passing up this word, I miss my present reality, my God given opportunity for now. There are enough disappointments in life, and it looks like perseverance isn't one of them.

Hebrews 10:35-36
Don't throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what He has promised.



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