Last year I wrote about how I’ve jumped on board with choosing a Word of the Year. While I can’t say that any of my Word of the Year choices have truly changed the trajectory of its given year, I do believe each word focused my perspective in positive and intentional way.
2020 was my year to be FEARLESS, and that word choice served me well. I stepped out of my comfort zone to share our story, which has allowed me to connect with people in ways I otherwise never could have. We made the decision for my husband to take a leap of faith to leave a job that he didn’t love, even though he didn’t yet have a solid place to land. We’ve shared our family’s heart with over 90 expectant moms considering adoption, each time scared of rejection but also the unknowns of tethering our lives to hers. Despite the fear we keep going, because it is what we have been called to do.
I’ve been thinking about my 2021 Word of the Year for a while, and I knew I wanted it to have something to do with finishing. One of my strengths is that I am an excellent planner: I thrive on doing research, drawing out sketches, creating timelines and checklists, envisioning the end game and marking out each step needed to get there.
Unfortunately, my follow through isn’t always there.
I’m not sure what it is about me that creates so many unfinished projects. Maybe because I have so many different ideas that I just can’t wait to jump to the next one. I also have a tendency to want things to be perfectly perfect before considering them finished. If you ask my husband I’m sure he’ll tell you this is one of my more endearing qualities.
As I was making my 21 for 21 list (a la Gretchen Rubin) I noticed that many lines on my list started with the word “finish”:
Finish Audrey’s room
Last summer we repainted it, ordered sparkly gold wall decals, measured where they would go, began marking the wall…and they’ve been sitting on her dresser for months
Finish 9 Week Control Freak, Liift4, and 30 Day Break Away through BeachBody
I am REALLY good at the first 3 weeks of Liift4 because I’ve done them so many times
Finish 3 Bible Studies
I have several half-finished studies that I enjoy and grow from, but just can’t seem to stick with. This year I’ve actually decided to do The Bible Recap for the entire year instead of jumping around.
Finish monthly meal plans
Finish monthly budgets
Finish & follow a weekly cleaning schedule
Reviewing my list made me realize that I don’t really need to start a bunch of new things…I just need to FINISH some great things I have started! And of course, the biggest one is to finish strong in this portion of our adoption process. I know adoption will be a lifelong journey, but staying strong and FEARLESS until we bring our baby home will be an important focus of this year. So, finish it is!
But I don’t really like the word “finish”. It doesn’t sound pretty or inspiring. It’s oriented towards a checklist, and as much as I love a good checkbox I wanted something a little deeper. So I started doing some digging (yay for more research!) and searched through a blog and online shop I’ve recently discovered.
I stumbled upon Dear Mushka while reading about different families’ experiences with adoption. Katie Lewis, the creator of Dear Mushka, has a beautiful story about her family’s calling to adoption, and the small Etsy shop she began as a way to raise money for their first adoption has become a fulltime business for her and her husband. If you’re looking for a meaningful gift or special treat for yourself, I highly recommend checking out Dear Mushka!
What I love about the jewelry sold by Dear Mushka is that each piece is inspired by scripture. I had purchased a few pieces for Christmas gifts, so I went back to her shop to see if she had anything else that would inspire me to find the perfect word. And I found it: The Complete Necklace. The necklace is beautiful on its own, but it was the scripture and description that sold the word on me.
I long to be “perfect and complete, lacking in nothing”. In this sense, “complete” isn’t meant as “finished”, but as developed, well-rounded, seasoned, whole, mature. A soul truly perfect and complete just doesn’t exist this side of heaven, but I am confident that by seeking God, daily leaning on His wisdom and love, I can get a little bit closer. It’s repeated many times in scripture that hard times and suffering develop our characters, that our souls mature as we learn to depend on Him. I know I will always be a work in progress – never truly “complete” until I see Jesus face to face – but I want the life that has been made richer, not ruined, because of its ravines.
So here it is, my 2021 Word of the Year: COMPLETE. Hopefully I’ll find the determination to actually complete most of the things on my list. And may the yet unknown challenges that this year will bring produce steadfastness to make me a little more perfect and complete.
