Instead, of a resolution this year, I joined in the My One Word campaign. I wrote about it at my new blog at my newly designed website.
My word for the year is: ENOUGH.
It is somewhere between NOT ENOUGH and TOO MUCH. LOL!
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I have invited God to do whatever he wishes in my life. Here are two ways, He is using ENOUGH in my life to simplify things:
1.) There are many things I take to excess. He is challenging me to stop at “enough.” This can be eating, driving fast, talking, spending, etc. I also don’t do ENOUGH of some things, like organizing my home, praying, loving other people and serving. This side of my ENOUGH coin is very challenging for me, and there is much work to be done! I will let him show me and strengthen me as the year unfolds.
2.) The second side to my ENOUGH “coin”is: To experience the reality that God is ENOUGH for all my needs. God is ENOUGH when I am lonely. God is ENOUGH when I am hurting, when I am agitated, confused, delighted, angry, thrilled, disappointed…etc. etc. This side of the ENOUGH coin lets me ENJOY my God and experience him as my sufficiency and portion.
Practically, so far, I have seen great changes in my eating (which had gotten really slip-shod with a number of trials over the past year). God is driving home to me again what “enough” looks like. I am free to eat whatever I desire, but God’s Spirit whispered “Enough” to me after I had eaten a few french fries during a meal. He also whispered “ENOUGH” to me when I started to reach for a second helping at breakfast. Obedience seems simpler to me with this approach. I love it!
There is such freedom for me in this!
- I am not obsessing about my current hunger number. This simplifies the process considerably and invites God to use a single word that I pray each morning (and throughout the day) I will live according to.
- My family is in on this. They know when I say “I have had enough” that it means I am done and I am obeying God in this moment–don’t mess with me over this. 🙂
- This affects which foods I choose to eat when hungry. Sometimes, to be honest, because I am a sweet-a-holic, it is literally true, “That is ENOUGH cookies for the day.” It is true. I don’t need any more cookies to experience freedom!
- It also helps me to make wiser choices… “I haven’t had ENOUGH protein today…I am hungry, so will have some grilled chicken.” There is nothing virtuous about grilled chicken as opposed to fried, but in my case, I have had ENOUGH fried foods since I eat them so often. God is using ENOUGH to simplify so much!
Could this help you? Could using a single word through which to view this new year help simplify things–such as your struggles to eat more mindfully–for you?
ENOUGH has already been making changes in me. I am thankful that the Lord has given me a word that is so concrete and so life-altering!
How are you doing as this new year begins? How could you simplify things?
