#oneword2015: Embrace

We did this exercise at church the other week where we all formed our hands into this cupped/open hands shape to symbolize grace, and the beauty of the exercise was that it was unclear whether we were giving or receiving grace.

That's my word this year.

Embrace.

Or rather, embraced and embracing. Because I am embraced by the love of Christ, I can embrace others with the love of Christ.

The idea of this #oneword2015 comes from this: My soul will rest in Your embrace.

And it just started to make a lot of sense.

First off... Is that verse not a perfect transition from "less" into "embrace"?! I think so.

I've dumped it all in the trash because...

I want a heightened awareness of His ever-steady embrace, and to embrace Him more and more in return. This may start with shakily attempting to read the Bible in a year using the She Reads Truth app... or at least the New Testament + the Psalms. I think I might fail. But the point here isn't successfully reading the entire New Testament [Take note, Miss-Perfectionist-Me who doesn't fail and tends to miss the point of these things!]... the point is becoming more aware of His embrace. Giving myself more space to rest in His embrace. And that may prove to be much harder... and way more important. 

I want to embrace others with His {love, grace, hope, peace} more and more this year. The people around me. The people in my community who may be harder to spot. The people all around the world. I can embrace others with His love because I have been embraced by Him. And my embrace of Him is expressed by embracing His children... This all goes hand-in-hand!

I want to embrace the places, experiences and communities in which He places me this year. As I step into new communities this year after graduation in June, I want to embrace the places He calls me to as for-such-a-time-as-this moments. I want to be so aware of the people around me in these new communities that need to be embraced by His love, and act on it.

Happy New Year, friends! Here's to 2015... May we all be embraced and embracing.


What's your #oneword2015?