One Word 2013 - January

I was invited last month to participate in One Word. It's a personal and spiritual focus for 2013, and a blogging event. You can read more about it here. On the 15th of each month, I'm supposed to blog about my reflections on the previous month in light of my One Word, and link up to the hosting blog. I missed yesterday's deadline, but better late than never. Right?

I chose TRUST as my One Word because I tend to trust in myself and my abilities/capabilities more than I trust what the Lord can do. I know I shouldn't do this. The Bible is very clear that our trust belongs in the Lord, not ourselves or in other people:

And we have such trust through Christ toward God. Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God, who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. {2 Corinthians 3:4-6}

Trusting in ourselves is kind of like driving down a dead-end street. There's only so far you can go. I have found in my life that when trials come, I don't always know what to do, or have the power to do what I think should be done. That kind of situation can quickly cause me to become overwhelmed. And it's not always the big things that throw me for a loop. It can simply be too many things to do, or a difficult parent at school, or a fussy toddler.

So, as 2013 gets started, I'm focusing on trusting the Lord with the big things and the little things. Nothing is too big or too small for Him. Nothing takes Him by surprise.

Just since my first One Word post, where I mentioned my concerns about our Social Security application and my desire for a godly man to come into our lives, I have seen the Lord working in both of those areas of my life. I was contacted by SS on Tuesday. They asked to see a copy of Michael's will. I'm sure they are looking for reasons not to approve our application, but I'm trusting the Lord with that outcome. And I've been enjoying getting to know a Christian widower in the last couple of weeks. Not sure where that is going, either, but I am trusting the Lord to guide me in that. Whatever happens in either situation, I am reminded once again how faithful God is, and that it is good for me to trust Him.