This Year's Theme

In one of the “Try this at Home” segments of the podcast Happier, Gretchen Rubin and her sister Elizabeth Craft, recommend choosing a one-word theme for each school year. Now, I am all about resolutions, words, and themes, so no surprise that I wanted to try this myself. When I was in Austria for a study abroad program, our priest suggested choosing a word for the semester, and I chose the word Feet. It just came to me, and I definitely would never have consciously chosen that word, but it turned out to really speak to me that semester. I still get chills when I hear the Easter Gospel “And behold, Jesus met them on their way and greeted them. They approached, embraced his feet, and did him homage” (Matthew 28:9).  Anyway, since my birthday is in September, which is also back-to-school season, I thought I would consider this the start of a new year, my 28^th, to be precise.

So without further ado, this year’s theme will be…

Refuge

When I was thinking and praying about what my word would be this year, several words jumped out right away: Enjoy. Savor. Discipline. Rest. And then I read this from the Magnificat for Monday: “As for me, the Lord will be my stronghold; my God will be my rock where I take refuge” (Psalm 94:22). The word refuge in particular nestled into my heart. Yes, that is what I need this year. Refuge. 

When I think of my word, I think of a child nestled into her father’s arms, now and then glancing at the big, broad, world, and then burrowing a bit deeper into his chest. Safe. Protected. Peaceful. The world can be full of worries and chaos, but in my Father’s arms, I can take refuge.

This year’s word also challenges me to be that refuge for other people. I want my son, my husband, everyone who crosses my path, to exhale in my presence. I want to be a shelter, a safe place to come in from the storms of this life.

This year’s word also seems very timely, as so many people are displaced from wars abroad. My heart aches for those affected, especially all of the families who have to make difficult decisions, such as: Do we stay in the only home we have ever known and face almost certain annihilation? Or do we leave everything, risking everything, for the chance at a better life? It is heartening to see how people in Greece and elsewhere have opened their hearts and homes to these refugees. Let us always strive to be a refuge to one another. This year, that will be my goal.