My friend Susan Shipe challenged me at the beginning of last year to pick a word for the year. I had not done that before. Once I started thinking about it, it seemed like everywhere I looked people were talking about their word for the year. I started asking the Lord about it and felt that my word was SOAR.
A funny story with that one is that when I started sharing it people thought I was saying SORE. I was in fact still sore from the sting of death from the death of my husband (four years earlier) and the failure of a long distance relationship. At the time, it seemed more appealing to speak of the pain than any future possibilities. I could get a lot of sympathy on both counts which kept me stuck in a negative pattern.
The difference a word can make
As I began to share with others that my word was “SOAR – as in an eagle” — my words began to transform my perspective. If I was SORE it was a good thing because it showed me that I was using new muscles of trust and confidence for a shift in my life.
If I was going to SOAR I needed to stop complaining.
If I was going to SOAR I needed to begin to look for opportunities that I had missed before.
If I was going to SOAR I needed to blow the lid off all perceived limitations.
If I was going to SOAR I was going to need to change from my limited perception to the viewpoint of an eagle.
Dramatic changes came from discovering what my word looked like to me
When I took the time to define what it would look like to SOAR, it meant that I wanted to travel, share HOPE in Spanish-speaking countries in order to use my gift of speaking Spanish fluently and fall in love (with someone who loved me back). I gained crystal focus and booked a trip to Costa Rica (where I grew up) for the end of January on my airline miles. I had little extra cash so I boldly asked a friend if I could stay with her. She said ‘yes’ and so my adventures started. That started the flow of travel for me. I also went to Nicaragua, Honduras, Bolivia and California.
I contacted a friend in Honduras and asked her when would be the best time to take her up on her offer to stay with her if I ever came down. I had used up my airline miles so I booked a flight on Spirit Airlines with a three week stay in San Pedro Sula – the murder capital of the world. When my flight was delayed one and half hours I was tempted to worry a little bit since all our contact had been on Facebook. It was too late to turn back at that point because I was already in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Everything turned out fine as I continued to SOAR. I spoke at a family conference to over 600 people who came desiring to find hope in the difficulties they were facing with their children.
While in Honduras, I began chatting on a daily basis with a new friend who felt a burden to pray for me. We started talking via Facebook messenger and determined that we should meet (in person) as soon as I got back home. I told him that it was a little like “You’ve Got Mail.” I was joking about bringing a rose so he could recognize me. He brought the rose. He is a widower and I have been able to help him during his year of firsts as he rides waves to comfort in Jesus. Our love continues to grow as a precious gift from the Lord.
Focus on your word for 2017 and then get a crystal clear picture of what looks like. I am so happy that I chose to SOAR instead of complaining.
My word for 2017 is ABIDE. I will keep you posted on what upgrades come with that word and all it means in my life.
What is your word for 2017?
Author, speaker, corporate trainer, ordained minister and Hope Catalyst, Karen Sebastian enjoys sharing her rich life experiences with others – engaging them in adventurous discoveries of the beauty of hope in a dark, cloudy world. Her books will inspire you to embrace hope no matter what you are going through.
