I have chosen a word at the beginning of each new year for several years. My word for 2020 was “bloom”, and my word for 2021 was “rest”. My words for this year, 2022, are “balance” and “renewal”.

Choosing my words for the year is not a big mystical thing for me. It is something I pray about, but it tends to be a fairly simple process. As soon as I begin thinking of a new word for the year, I simply take notice of what first comes to mind. I have always found that those words are significant, a topic that has come up before, possibly several times, in past years. I dwell on the word (or words) that pop up, and think and pray about what they may mean for me. I’ll look at where they are found in scripture, both directly and indirectly. In most years, the first word that came up was the word that I chose. 

The Choosing Process: Balance

That process was how I chose the word “balance”. As soon as I thought about finding a word for 2022, “balance” came to my mind. It honestly made perfect sense, because balance is a concept that I contemplated or discussed a LOT in 2021. I found myself using the word in almost every counseling session I had, coming to the conclusion that basically every part of life has a balance. What I mean by this is that everything is on a spectrum of sorts, with extreme highs, extreme lows, and middle ground…plus everything else in between. 

If I’m being real with you, this concept often frustrates me, especially my perfectionist side. I want to achieve the perfect balance in everything, and that’s just not possible. Does that mean I shouldn’t work towards moving towards the middle in some areas of my life? No! But perfection can’t be the goal. Creating more balance, and overall more growth, in my life is what I’m working towards.

Stacking Rocks

When I think of balance, I visualize a scale of course, but I also think of a stack of rocks. Creating balance is something that takes trial and error, just like building a tower of rocks. You have to add and subtract rocks, figure out how they fit together…and sometimes they all fall down and you have to start from the beginning. It’s a tricky, often frustrating, never-ending process. But it’s worth it to try if I take steps on my journey towards growth in the long run. I also think it becomes easier over time as I figure out some things that don’t work for me and some things that do, and especially when I choose to let the Lord guide me on the journey. 

 

In 2022, my aim is to create balance alongside the Lord in how I use my voice, the foods I eat, and between work, fun, and rest. What is an area in your life that feels off-balance? 

ANother is born: Renewal

My second word for the year came in a different way. It wasn’t a word that came to mind until I bought a stack of books that I noticed centered around the topic of renewal. One of the books was actually Rhythms of Renewal: Trading Stress and Anxiety for a Life of Peace and Purpose by Rebekah Lyons. Although my word for 2021, “rest”, seemed similar to “renewal”, it just felt like a perfect fit for the upcoming year. Especially after what I (and we as a whole) have experienced in both 2020 and 2021. I NEED renewal. Therefore, my second word for the year, “renewal”, was born. 

Renewal is defined as “an instance of resuming an activity or state after an interruption.” I am ready to thrive again, truly thrive, not just live in a state of survival in what could be another hard year. An even better definition for the word is “the replacing or repair of something that is worn out, run-down, or broken; renovation; restoration”. Ummmm, hello??? You could just put my picture underneath, because I so often feel this way! 

Living Water

When renewal comes to mind, I picture water. Water in the form of rain or falling from a watering can. A waterfall. A stream. Water that is enhancing the world around it or changing what’s in its path. Water that is powerful enough to take an old creation and turn it new. Ultimately, the Living Water, Jesus! (Read John 4:4-42, specifically verses 10-14, for more information about this reference.)

 

This year, I am seeking true renewal through the Lord. I am taking steps to improve the weakest part of my spiritual life, which is prayer. I am also reading a devotional by Timothy Keller called “The Songs of Jesus”, which will take me through the Psalms in their entirety. What is a way that you are seeking renewal in the days (weeks, months, etc.) ahead?

More like jesus

I have never chosen two words for a year, but I think that “balance” and “renewal” complement each other well. With greater renewal comes more balance, and vice versa. Each of my goals (or habits I want to form) for the first quarter of the year incorporate both of these words. And, for me, becoming more like Jesus is at the center of both creating balance and being renewed. 

Do you have a word for 2022? Let us know what it is in the comment section below!