Do you shudder and cringe at the thought of New Year’s resolutions or do you love making a list every year? Do you feel like a failure if you don’t keep them perfectly, or are you defeated before you even start? I hope not. Doing a little bit of something is always better than a whole lot of nothing.
Despite being a fangirl of fresh starts and new beginnings, I haven’t compiled a list of resolutions or goals in a while. Still, I look at a new year as Bottom line, there are daily possibilities to make a difference in someone’s life and our world, for the better. You know this, I know this, but our intentions are sometimes better than follow-through.
Beyond resolutions, I like the practice of choosing a Word of the Year, one word that serves as reminder and guide for the year ahead. There’s nothing magical about it, but having a Word of the Year provides inspiration, motive, and even a target for intentionality. It keeps me mindful of how Jesus is inviting me to grow, serve, and love well in the season before me.
This year as I prayed for Divine inspiration for my WOTY — the new year had rolled around and I wasn’t settled on one yet — I read a great article on (in)courage that lit a fire (see ); I decided to take . Truth be told, I was hesitant. How could a quiz determine how God was leading me for 2024?
Well…who knew? Not only can God work in mysterious ways, He can also work in not-so-mysterious ways. The One Word the quiz suggested for me — Imagine — resonated with what I had been sensing for a while, but hadn’t been able to distill to a single word. J’adore, j’adore, j’adore!
Last year I told someone I had stopped dreaming; while that realization initially made me sad, I ended up thankful. Once aware of my deficiency, I began praying about it. Creativity that was buried under circumstance started begging for attention. My imagination was energized in a way it hasn’t been in a long, long while. We’re created in God’s image to be His image bearers in this world. His incredible imagination is one of my favorite attributes, one I long to reflect to bring Him glory.
My heart was glad…I felt more like “me.” Fast forward to when I read through DaySpring’s page for the word “Imagine,” and my spirit shouted “Yes!” and “Amen!” “As believers in God, we are invited to dream big and imagine boldly. The pages of Scripture serve as a guide, affirming that our dreams align with God’s promises, our creativity reflects His nature, and our childlike faith is a testament to our trust in Him.” A thousand little heart emojis!
I don’t wanna share too much here, because I’d rather you take the quiz and discover what God may be inviting you to this year. After all, you’ve read this far, and surely you’re curious what would suggest for you :). Please let me know if you take the quiz, what it suggests for you, and how you feel about it. Deal?
