Retreat-Word of the year

This a.m., I have been blessed to enjoy some time of reflection. I am preparing my mind, heart, and soul for the upcoming weekend retreat at my sister Dana's cabin.  Dana issued a challenge to consider one word to focus on for the year and one word to "sacrifice" or give up for the year.  It is a word that we will use to keep our minds focused the entire year.  A word that will change something about who we are, who we hope to be for others, etc...something about our character. She has challenged us to focus on "being" instead of "doing".  Letting this word sink into our hearts and take hold in our everyday experiences w/ourselves and others. As I was considering several words that I may use this year, I remembered that in 2005 I actually did focus on a word, "balance".  Didn't realize it at the time, but I did spend that year trying to balance things in my life. Trying to balance time, money, family, friends...keeping everything in a healthy balance.  Trying to focus on saying "no" when I needed to make time for other priorities, saying "yes" when I needed to spend more time with God, etc... I am such a deep thinker that I found it very challenging, this year, to narrow my resolution to a single word. After much prayer and study this past month, I've settled on the word "health". I reflected on the idea that health really has 6 dimensions so it can cover a lot of different areas in my life. The 6 I came up with are 1) emotional-which is the heart, the care/compassion/concern I have for myself/others  2) intellectual-the ability to think, learn, and understand information-process rationally  3) occupational-that I will love my own work, excel in it, grow in it  4) physical-proper nutrition and exercise, be a good steward of my body which is the temple of God   5) social-being w/others, forming connections, building relationships  6) spiritual-developing the knowledge of God in both my head/heart through regular bible study, prayer, teaching, fellowship and mentoring.  As I came to this word "health" I thought about the scripture that says "Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men."  As a disciple of Christ, my aim is to be more Christlike-therefore growing/developing in "health", as Jesus did, is one of the ways that I can be more like the Master. To be more Christlike often requires "doing" something. Even James said, "Faith without works is dead. I will show you my faith by my works."  However, all actions should be motivated by the idea of who I am. I am a human being-a being uniquely designed by the almighty God, Creator, that loved me enough to send His Son to die for my sins.  No matter what I "do", I will never deserve His marvelous grace, but I do want to "be" what He calls me to be. He calls me to be holy, "set apart", for His glory and His purpose.  One of the ways I can "be" holy is to focus on health. So that is my word for this year. I also looked into the scriptures and found "many" references to the idea of health in the 6 ways I previously mentioned.  Scriptures that remind me where my focus needs to "be" on health. "Season" speech-Colossians 4:6-it's so important to be mindful of what I say and learn to speak in encouraging ways that help another.   "Fruit" of the spirit-Galatians 5:22-25-what a beautiful list of character words-love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, kindness, faith, meekness, self control".  "Fruit"- bearing good fruit, "being" fruitful in every good work-Colossians 1:10.  "Walk"- walk in wisdom, Colossians 4:5, the list goes on and on with references to things involving "health" in God's word. I suppose the thing that has struck me the most about this during the last month of contemplating my year's "word", is that "health" is a journey, not a destination.  While I choose this word to focus on in the coming year-I understand that it will not be a word that I can use to obtain some earthly goal.  While I am here on this earth serving the Lord through love, I will never reach full "health". This is a word that will remain a part of all that I am through my everyday experiences until I reach that final destination, which is Heaven. Only in Heaven will health, in all it's facets, be perfected in me-for Heaven is the destination. Until I reach the destination, I will journey in health and enjoy the process.