One Word, Many Lessons

It’s that time of year again — time to choose a word for the New Year. I’ve done this faithfully since 2016. My word that year was unshaken, and since then I’ve carried words like remain, shine, compass, posture, capacity, treasure, oak, time, and unbothered for 2025.

I chose unbothered because I began noticing how much poor communication in different areas of my life had started to, well… bother me. With the influence of a friend — who wisely said, “I don’t think caring is a bad thing. Communication is important. Letting it bother you is hard on yourself, not the other person though” — my eyes were opened. That wisdom, paired with Proverbs 19:23 (International Children’s Bible), where King Solomon writes, “Those who respect the Lord will live and be content, unbothered by troubles,” sealed it for me. I declared that in 2025, I would be less bothered.

Was I fully successful? No. And God knew I needed practice.

This year came with family job losses, the struggle of finding work, anxiety, financial stress, big decisions about the future of our boys, countless moments of wondering how I could have been a better mother, rejections, adapting to new ways at work, emails with no responses, and sitting in meetings where plans are made but nothing ever seems to happen. Pretty much all the things that bother me.

By October, I started feeling like a failure at being “unbothered.” I questioned why God would give me a word I couldn’t live up to, and in a rather elevated voice asked Him, “Are you listening to me?!” That’s when God sent my very wise friend — who would never call herself wise — to open my eyes again.

Other than God and Eric, I have one friend I go to. One. Not ten. She never judges me, never ignores me, and never makes me feel like a burden. Talking to too many people about everything often invites more noise, not more peace. This is what she said to me:

“Just know, you are still unbothered — you’re just bothered in a faith-filled way. That’s totally different than being bothered. You take it to Him and let Him help you carry your bothers. That is huge. I have fallen short of that at times too. It speaks volumes that you seek deeper faith and renewal when things get heavy. Don’t doubt yourself in fulfilling your word. Surely God has allowed all this craziness to help you rely on Him so you don’t stay bothered.”

I’ve learned through past “one word” years that fully walking out a word often doesn’t make sense until after the test, when reflection brings clarity. So when I reflect on Proverbs 19:23, I ask myself: Did I respect the Lord? Yes — by being honest with Him in conversation. Did I still get up and live each day? Yes. Was I content? Not perfectly, but I carried a trust and knowing that these were temporary troubles that couldn’t compare to the full weight of glory in eternity.

I wasn’t perfect at being “unbothered,” but I grew stronger — from glory to glory.

And that growth led me to my word for 2026.

After recognizing how much I can overthink, overplan, overbook, overstimulate, and overtalk, I realized what I truly need is overhear. To let quietness and rest be my strength, as Isaiah 30:15 reminds us. I settled on this word through the story of Samuel in 1 Samuel 3. God called Samuel three times, and each time Samuel ran to Eli. Only after Eli helped him recognize it was the Lord did Samuel return to his room. When God called the fourth time, Samuel responded, “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.”

Samuel had been looking for the voice in the wrong room. He was in the right place all along. Once he stopped running and sat in quiet trust — listening instead of going — he could finally hear the Lord.

My challenge for you is this:
What word is God inviting you to live out — not perfectly, but faithfully? And what might you need to quiet, release, or stop running to in order to truly overhear His voice in the year ahead?

Maybe the word isn’t about doing more. Maybe it’s about listening better.