Two years ago I took on a personal project that would change my life.

One Little Word® by Ali Edwards is a concept in which instead of making a list of resolutions at the beginning of each year, you choose one word on which to focus.  She offers a class that has monthly prompts which include writing, photography, mixed media projects, and many things in between.  The idea had been in my peripheral vision for quite a while, but toward the end of 2014 I really started to take it seriously.  Mostly because I had to.  I was at the end of my rope.

So on the last day of 2014 I signed up for Ali’s class  and began to brainstorm words that might work for me.  I was not at a loss for ideas, but settling on one word was a more difficult task than I anticipated.  After a LOT of debate and waffling, I landed on the word HEAL.  I ordered a ring from Etsy with my word engraved on it to wear as a reminder.  And it’s a good thing I did because, friends, there was a lot of healing to do.

I was in a broken place:  physically, emotionally, spiritually, and relationally.  Looking back, I can tell you that it is only through the grace of God that our family stayed in tact and that I came out of that time unscathed.  Now isn’t the time to dig through the muck of those days, but I can tell you that there was a lot of prayer, writing, tears, and therapy to get me and us through.  And with every ounce of my soul I believe that it started with the word HEAL.

I signed up for the class again for 2016 and I again had a hard time landing on a word.  I decided on FORWARD, ordered another ring, then changed my mind a couple of weeks into the year.  Oops.  The word FREE kept coming up in my life, and I decided that would be the word for me.  So a little late and another ring later, I started working on the prompts.

I didn’t connect with FREE as intensely as I did with HEAL, and I wasn’t as diligent about doing the monthly prompts, but keeping it at the forefront of my mind by following Ali’s class and simply being aware of the presence of the word in my world has shifted my perspective in many ways.

I will once again participate in this project in 2017.  I thought I had found my word several weeks ago, but a different has been squirming around in me for a few days.  At church yesterday the new word once again appeared, perhaps confirming that I should focus on it.  I think some prayer and perspective are in order now.