The Jennifer Lopez song was having a dance party in my brain as I responded to my friend Heather’s email. “As is the norm for me, I clicked every link having to do with discovery. St. Marguerite Bourgeoys is my randomly assigned saint, though after reading a short bit about her, I’m not sure there is anything random about the pairing. She’s a saint after my own heart. DaySpring selected ‘gather’ and wordoftheyear.me selected ‘limitless’ as my words of the year.” Maybe it’s the Enneagram 4w3 in me, or maybe it’s the StrengthFinders combination of strategic/ideation/connectedness/relator/achiever, or maybe it’s simply the soul of a renegade Christ-stumbler, but I’m always searching, always discovering, always wondering. Ask me to ponder anything, and you might get a novel’s worth of possibilities, plus a lot of encouragement to rise, soar, risk, embrace. That is, encouragement for YOU.
The same voice that cheers you on still has a tendency to be sharp-tongued with its owner. Methinks I might not be alone in the struggle.
Last year, my word was steadfast, and I learned (and am still learning) to be persistent and faithful in a world that doesn’t always play fair. If you’ve not ever tried steadfast as a word of the year, I invite you to adopt it. It’s a sturdy word, offered up by a God who Himself is steadfast.
In Psalm 63, it says, “Your steadfast love is better than life, so I will delight in You.” I’ve fallen in love with the word steadfast. Now it’s time for the delight. Delight means to savor like a fine wine, to favor, to celebrate. Delight sparks joy. Delight begets delight. “Make God the utmost delight and pleasure of your life, and He will provide for you what you desire the most.” That’s Psalm 37:4. He is steadfast, so I can be steadfast. He delights in me, so I can delight in Him—and in the woman He has made in His image and likeness.
Delight may be my word of the year for 2020. But the power and purpose of the word is for us, love. Let’s delight in the God who has our names inscribed on His palm. Let’s delight in the God who has designed us and called us His own. And let’s delight in the days He has given us, the bodies He has shaped for us, the qualities and quirks that make us who we are. Like Saint Marguerite Bourgeoys, let’s delight in finding the place that connects our passion with the world’s need—even if it means we step onto uncharted paths. That’s my heart’s desire. For you and for me. He delights. We delight. And we are limitless.
I’m so ready to gather with you this year. We’re in this together, and I am for you. We are delightful. Share your word of the year with me if you’ve selected one.