Your guiding light for 2025
It was a year ago last week, we had both parents in two different hospitals in Chattanooga, Johna and I were stretched thin and surviving on your prayers and our village.
When we first got to the trauma unit with my mom and found out she was alive- after 7 terrible minutes of thinking she wasn’t- we finally got to see her.
Her pain level was high, her seizure activity was inhibiting her consciousness, and the hospital only had time to make sure she was stable and left us to try to calm her spirit. All we knew to do was pray.
I grabbed my phone, opened Spotify, hit play and laid it on her chest.
The first song that played was “Most beautiful” by maverick city.
Johna and I both laid over her singing and praying. All I remember about that night are these words:
“Dwell dwell dwell here forever.”
One thing I desire
Only this I seek
Just to dwell dwell dwell
Here forever
This will be my posture
Laying at Your feet
Oh just to dwell dwell dwell
Here forever
Days passed and she came home, my dad came home, life proceeded, and eventually we all found normalcy again, praise the Lord- still with the help of your prayers and our village- each day was better and better
But the word, DWELL, was engrained in my soul.
When it came time to choose a word of the year, dwell took front and center. Along with a verse from Ephesians and psalm 27:4
“One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple.”
What I know is when I look back at 2024, I’ll always remember the promises of God and my parents coming home.
I’ll be able to look back and know that the word Dwell was my guiding light and the psalm 27 was my hope and heart.
As years pass by, the word dwell will become even more important, just like each years word that shows up with each passing moment.
This is why I choose a word of the year. When life is falling part, I grab my pen and write my word and verse and just sit in it.
When I don’t know what else to do I study the theology behind the word and verse and dive deeper into the word of God.
When I can’t find words to say or words to journal or words to pray, I have a word and a verse and a starting place.
As you approach 2025, pay attention too words that are on your heart or keep repeating- you never know what God is working on for your life.
Here’s to the final season of 2024- a fresh new start for 2025- and a word and verse to guide your days.