Abundance

For the past few years, I have chosen a word for the year, and then I would do my best to apply that word to any given situation. For example, if my word was “joy,” I would look for joy in the day-to-day. I would try to see joy in the face of others. I would try to conjure up joy from the time I would wake in the morning.

But this year I am taking a different approach.

I like to think of how I see the world as if I am looking through a particular set of lenses. They are my lenses not only for what I see, but also for how I respond and how I feel. It’s like watching a 3D movie—to get the full effect of the movie, you look through 3D lenses. Imagine watching that same movie without the 3D glasses—you’d miss the best special effects and I would guess end up with a headache. This past summer, I came across a wonderful set of books where the illustrations looked one way when seen with the naked eye. But then, once you put on a set of colored glasses, other illustrations jumped from the page. The drawings looked completely different based on what color lenses you looked through.

I think we go through life that same way. We look through our lenses and see the world a certain way. It is possible we go through life seeing our world through the lens of fear or doubt or worry. And while this is what we see, we still do our best to look hard to find joy or try to see the good.

But imagine what could happen if we change the lens, if we look at it in 3D or we change the color. Imagine what else we might suddenly see! Imagine how we would feel, the opportunities that would come our way if we could see all of the special effects or the hidden drawings!

So this year, I am still choosing a word, but rather than a word of focus, it is a word that will become my lens. As Brandon and I have been talking about what we will bring to this year, he has decided to choose the lens of “purpose,” to see the boundless opportunities right in front of him to answer his calling each and every day. I have chosen the word “abundance,” and I choose to see more than I deserve, to knock knowing the door is already opened, to ask knowing my need is already met.

This year, I will not look for abundance in the day-to-day, rather I will see the day-to-day as overflowing with abundance. I will not look for abundance in the face of others, but I will see the abundance I have to give to all those I encounter.

I believe it is not about looking for the good in things, but seeing things as good. It’s not about trying to figure out how God has a hand in something, but seeing all things are from God. I believe with the right lens, we see more than what first appears.

The truth is, this new year will come and it will go. Before we know it, it will already be June and then October and then the new year once again. At some point, we will either have done what we said we would do or we will forget all about it. But what can be new, each and every day, is us. We can live our day in full joy or with purpose or in abundance rather than living our day trying to find joy and purpose and abundance.

May this new year bring you 365 new days to see all that is in store for you!