One Word For 2012

If I were to look back on 2010 and give it a name, it would be Change. In so many ways it was the year of change for me.

I finished an internship. I went to Thailand. I said goodbye to friends, my job and my church of 7 years, packed everything I owned in my Ford Focus and moved from South Texas to North Carolina. I worked at a temporary job. I learned to paint. I made plans. I listened to God and changed my plans. Again I said goodbye to friends and family, and packed everything in my car for the second time in 6 months...and moved from North Carolina to a tiny town in Illinois. I moved into my first apartment. I adjusted to a new town, new job, new church, new friends, new me, new life.

After the year of Change, I decided to be intentional about naming the next year. I wanted to choose a word and christen the year with it before it even began.

In January 2011 I chose the word Grace for the year. It was fitting. Grace means “favor”. After the year of Change, I craved a year of grace. As I learned a routine at my new job and made new friends, grace fit. As I tried to continue to build relationships with my friends and family who were hundreds of miles away, grace fit still. As I chose verses to memorize throughout the year, I noticed a theme...more often than not, the verses I chose contained the word “grace” or “gracious”. I was shown favor when I wasn't perfect. As I messed up and made mistakes, I was given grace.

My word for 2012 is Eucharisteo. It is a Greek word I learned while reading “One Thousand Gifts” by Ann Voskamp. This word, eucharisteo, means “thanksgiving” but it's so much more than that. The root word of eucharisteo is charis...which means “grace”. This word. Eucharisteo. This word is what I want 2012 to be for me. A year of accepting grace and thanking God for it. Thanking God for every moment of grace and favor, every gift He has given me.

A life filled with change. A life given grace. A life giving thanks.

What is your one word for this year?

-Tiffany