The older I get, the faster time seems to fly. Do you feel that way, too?
Here we are again, welcoming a bright, shiny new year, full of opportunities and possibilities, adventures and experiences. And – let’s be real – mistakes and problems, frustrations and disappointments, too.
Isn’t that the way of life? The good mixed with the not-so-good. The high highs and the low lows so often intermingle in ways we wish they wouldn’t. But that’s life doing its thing, right? Rolling along as we hang on tight and try to occasionally enjoy the ride. Is that how this is supposed to work?
Actually…no. I don’t think it’s supposed to work like that at all.
While it’s true that we are not in control of quite a few things in life, it’s equally true that we actually don’t have to simply hang on for the ride, flying by the seat of our pants and just hoping for the best. We can learn to live with intention, looking at the situations and opportunities that crop up in our lives through the lens of our faith in a God who loves us and knows what it’s like to live this human experience.
That’s what I want – intention, joy and peace that passes understanding in all circumstances. But how?
While there are lots of ways to invite and cultivate a more peaceful, joy-filled existence, one of my favorites is choosing a word of the year.
This New Year tradition feels much more approachable to me than making resolutions. Although, come to think of it, are we still making resolutions in 2026? I know at some point we moved more in the direction of intentions, but maybe we’ve moved on to suggestions? Propositions? Invitations? I don’t know.
Perhaps our quickly diminishing attention spans (side-eye to the buzzing iPhone sitting beside me as I type) are to thank for these adjustments, but also, why do we feel the need to overhaul our lives every January? We don’t necessarily have to be new, although if you want to go that route, by all means, go for it. But sometimes we do need to refocus. Or (since I spend a lot of time with teenagers now) sometimes we need to “lock in”.
Choosing a word of the year is a way to do that without resolving to make a bunch of major changes that will probably end up not sticking anyway. Let me show you what I mean.
For my 2026 Word of the Year, I’ve chosen “Stretch.” And when I say that I chose it, what I really mean is that God chose it. I spent several weeks in prayer asking God to reveal to me what would be most useful, beautiful and helpful to me this year. I asked for a word that would help me continue growing into the person He created me to be. And, much to my dismay (ha!) God gave me the word stretch. It makes me very nervous to think about the ways this may play out in my life, but I’ve spent a lot of time with God over the years and found Him to be worthy of my trust. So stretch it is.
With my word in mind, now I can use it to inform my choices and decisions in 2026. So let’s say I make the decision to go to the gym more often. Just resolving (intending?) to go to the gym may work for a little while, getting me up and out the door early despite the dark, cold January mornings. But eventually I’m not going to want to go. Eventually I’m going to want to throw in the towel, wave the white flag, surrender to my nice warm bed or a cozy spot by the fire. But if I use my word to filter my experience and look at things through God’s perspective, things change.
I realize that going to the gym is stretching me in ways that might be uncomfortable at first, but will ultimately help me to be physically able to handle whatever God asks me to do. With that in mind, the cold dark mornings at the gym begin to feel like a jumping off point for my day – energizing and inspiring me to see what else I can accomplish.
Or what if I want to start a journaling practice. Just resolving to write each day may work for a little while, and I’ll feel inspired to set aside extra time to sit down with a notebook and pen. But eventually I’ll say, “I don’t have time”. Eventually I’ll say, “I’ll do it tomorrow”. And then one day will turn into two days will turn into a week will turn into months. But if I use my word to filter my experience and look at things through God’s perspective, things change.
I realize that writing is a practice that stretches me to expand and think and wonder and grow. Writing will help me learn to make mistakes, make changes, see another way through. Writing will offer me the opportunity to stretch and learn to communicate more effectively in my work, in my relationships, and in life in general. With that in mind, I’ll see this practice as a way to grow closer to God and watch what He’s doing in my life.
God can and will do great things in our lives this year. What will we do for Him? It’s not too late – ask God for a word that will help you stay focused on Him and what He wants you to do. Keeping that word in mind and using it to inspire us for the rest of 2026 will help us accomplish our goals and move forward in the direction God has for us.
