Last year I decided to join Ali Edwards {and the rest of Blogland!} for One Little Word. I chose the word Hope for 2016. Hope was something the Lord kept laying on my heart every time I began to pray about our situation. "Have hope my child and trust in my timing" was something I heard him say to me time and time again. And so hope became my word I wanted to focus on for the year as we struggled through the woes of infertility {again}. I also shared some scripture that gave me hope throughout the year. It was such a great word to focus on because I can't tell you the number of times I wanted to get angry about our situation instead of having hope and trusting in the Lord's timing. Because of that hope I was able to experience joy instead of constant heartache. Don't get me wrong, some days were harder than others, but the Lord carried us through those. And he gave me such grace.
This year's word actually came to me during a nightmare. Yes, a nightmare....of all places. Long story short, in this nightmare we were in the middle of a shooting at a restaurant and a man started attacking Jesus. He was mocking Him and asking if we were going to pray to Jesus to save us and basically laughing at the thought that Jesus could actually save us all. He was being downright ugly and I just couldn't take it. So right there in the middle of chaos and evil and instead of running for my life I stopped to stand up for my Jesus. I asked him if he realized that Jesus died for him and informed him that yes, Jesus can indeed save us. I woke up and all I could think about was how bold I was in that dream. Bold for my Jesus. Bold in the midst of fear. And I couldn't shake that. It was constantly on my mind. I kept thinking over and over again how I wish I could be that bold for Jesus every single day {in real life}.
And you know what? I can. And I will. That's why I am choosing to be bold for Jesus in 2017.
bold
adjective
- 1.(of a person, action, or idea) showing an ability to take risks; confident and courageous.
Being bold is most definitely risky and I know that there is a fine line between being bold and being pushy. However, that's not the kind of boldness I am seeking after. That doesn't honor or please God. I want to live out His word and my faith with boldness. To do bold things for Jesus without caring about what the world will think. I want to bring God glory in all of my days. I want to be bold in ways that lift others up and in ways that others can see Him through me.
I am not naturally a bold person. I am usually quiet, pretty shy until I am comfortable in the situation, and more often than not I lack confidence in myself. This will be a challenge for me, no doubt. So, what will this look like for me? I don't know exactly, but I do know some of the areas I want to be bold...
- Stepping out in obedience when God is calling me to do something.
- Sharing the Gospel and the goodness of God with others.
- Being fervent in prayer
- Praying with someone after they've confided in me over a situation.
- Speaking up in our ladies bible study.
- Raising my hands to praise Jesus during worship without caring what others think.
- Leading Mason to Jesus and praying with him more.
- Joining a small group.
- Being confident in myself when the church asks me to take pictures at events.
I also wanted to share that as I was praying, studying and reflecting on my word for the year I came across this scripture:
Since we have such a hope, we are very bold.
2 Corinthians 3:12 (ESV)
This verse contains my word from last year as well as my word for this year. Amazing!
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Bold is such a great word!! Such a crazy nightmare you had but I think it's amazing that it gave you your word for the year and I can't wait to watch you tackle it. :)
ReplyDeleteI just love you! This post gave me chills, Crystal. Putting yourself out there, just like you did in this post, is bold. You already are! I'm so looking forward to seeing where this leads you!
ReplyDeleteYour photos are beautiful! Please embrace your talent with others!
Oh friend this word gives me chills. I could use some more boldness in my life. I am so excited to see how this year goes for you.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a scary dream, but wow, very inspirational result!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great word and that verse is amazing that contains both your words! Praying for a great year for you!
ReplyDeleteBold for my Jesus -- let's do this together. You know where I stand and where I'd like to go so let's be bold and love Christ together!
ReplyDeleteWhat a strong word, Crystal! And seriously, such a powerful (yet scary) dream you had! Cheers to a bold 2017!
ReplyDeleteOoooh what a great word! I am the exact opposite of bold so I can only imagine how tough that one could be! You are such an inspiration, Crystal, and you've got this!
ReplyDeleteI absolutely love the word you chose! It's not one you hear often, but it's such a big and important one!!
ReplyDeleteWow- that is quite a dream lady!! Bold is a great word. I hope you have a wonderful year and go BOLDLY where HE leads you.
ReplyDeleteLove the word choice! And its brave too if you ask me.
ReplyDeleteThat final verse is just perfect! And what a powerful and intense dream you had! Here's to a bold 2017!!!
ReplyDeleteI love this so much! Reading through the description of your nightmare gave me chills. I have often tried to picture what I would do in a similar situation. I always pray the Lord will give me the boldness you described! Through Him, you can be bold this year! Blessings!
ReplyDeleteBold is just perfect for you! And I love that the verse contains both your words. Lifting prayers that 2017 is bold and beautiful, full of hope, and just perfect.
ReplyDeleteWhat a strong and great word to live by! I feel like it's not your typical word, but means SO much and will surely make this year one of the very best ever.
ReplyDeleteLove the word. Love the meaning. It is so so perfect for you'
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