New Year, New Word

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After praying about it for a few days and considering what’s been laid on my heart during that time, I came to the word I feel God has given me for 2020……

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While I was letting this word sink in, I let all the implications of it flood my heart. Here is what I heard:

  • GOD is worthy of all I have each moment of each day. He is not looking for my excuses, or my “I can’t’s”, He just wants my whole heart all the time.

  • I am worthy. It was a line I wrote in my end of year blog post that got me on this one, “I no longer fear that what God has given me to say isn’t relevant or that I’m not worthy to be the one who says it.” What have I missed out on because of fear that I’m not worthy of His calling? No more. Not this year. God has called me worthy when He sent His Son to die on the cross for my sins. Who am I to behave as though I’m not?

  • Scott is worthy of my level best each day. This one isn’t too tough because we do love each other well, but there’s always room for growth and improvement. I know I can still be quite selfish at times, and since he’s my safe place, he’s usually the first to get my less than grace-filled self.

  • My kids are worthy of my best, my grace, my forgiveness, my encouragement, my love, my patience, my JOY (ouch on this one!)…everything I have to offer, they are worthy of it. I know this makes it sound like I don’t usually give these things to them…I do, but since I’ve promised to make my writing a place of honesty… when I’m tired (five kids, so that’s often), or over the ‘kid-ness’ of my kids, or I’m ready for just five minutes of ‘me time’, or I’m tired of repeating myself…much of these qualities slip.

  • Family and friends are worthy. Worthy of my time, my support, encouragement, gratitude, and best effort. We are not promised tomorrow. Understanding that fully makes showing up for today all the more imperative.

  • Those outside our immediate circle, strangers, community acquaintances…they are all worthy. They, we, are all created in the image of Christ, saved or lost, broken or mending, young or old, sick or well, hurting or thriving….all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are worthy of Mark 12:31, loving my neighbor as I love myself.

So, here’s to a new year, a new word, and each new day opening our eyes and hearts to the possibilities! Cheers, friends!
~ Jules

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Julia Akin

When I was a kid dreaming of what I would be one day, I had three main dreams…first was to be a mom, second was to be a writer and third, a teacher. By the grace of God, I’ve somehow become all three! Together with my husband, Scott, we run a small farm, small family business, homeschool our five kiddos, he pastors a church and I work in women’s ministry and still manage to love each other well.