I love the tradition of, through prayer and meditation on scripture, finding a word to focus on through the new year. Last year, my word was Anticipation.
At the time of the choosing, the word dealt with my career, I was sure. God blessed my family with other anticipations as well:
- Dear Boy, living on a mission in Côte d’Ivoire, was transferred to a town with a stronger church and less harsh conditions. Thankfully, he was surrounded by generous, loving people when he contracted Malaria.
- Precious Redhead, though accepted to an outstanding school, chose a smaller one in which she could gain her degree without dealing in student loans. Having received several scholarships
already, she is working and saving to begin her student life next fall. And she even raised enough to buy her own car. - Upon his return to the states, Dear Boy began seeing a sweet lady who had kept up correspondence with him during his entire term in Africa. They were engaged just a few weeks ago. Happy anticipation continues in that realm.
- And more happy anticipation mounts with the release of a fourth collaboration novella through Write Integrity Press beginning later this month. Love Boat Bachelor is actually a sequel to last year’s A Dozen Apologies. I can’t wait to see it set sail!
I thought I was expecting my traditional publishing career to finally take off. For an editor or two to fall in love with my writing. Still anticipating that. I believe publishing will happen in the right time and in the right way. Not sure how, who, or when, but that’s the Lord’s job. My job is to follow him.
And following is what settles on my heart this year. So many scriptures that focus on that concept. Obey, follow, walk in the way. Like here in 2 John 1:6 “And this is love, that we walk according to His commandments. This is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, that you should walk in it.”
There are many verses that echo this message. Walk in love. Walk by faith. Walk in light, obedience, freedom, and awe of the Lord. All of these commands require movement. Walking – forward mobility.
So WALK is my word for 2015. Not only physically walking which I’ve already started, but spiritually moving and staying close to the Lord, on His path.
Further, He has called me to write. When He called us to home school, we made the decision to continue that path until He showed us clearly that He wanted us to stop. He has not. I’ve graduated 2 and have 2 high school sophomores coming through the ranks.
In the same way, I need to keep writing until He puts on my 
heart that He wants me to stop. As long as I delight in obeying Him, following Him, and listening to Him, I know He’ll put the desires in my heart that He wants me to have. As long as the desire to write is upon my heart, I write.
But this year, unlike my distraction of 2014, I will walk daily in the desire He has established. Social media, outside activities, and the details of life will not distract me from intentional writing even if it means getting up at 0-dark-thirty to spend time writing to meet my word-count goal.
If this is the passion He has given, then it must be priority. Not as a hobby when I have time, but as the career it had been before last year’s detours and obstacles.
Marji Laine 