5 steps to grow and learn from your 2012 word.

The origin of RISK.

Last week, I shared my word for 2012 – RISK. When I narrowed on that word it came as a shock to me. I fully intended the word to be “intentional” based on my lessons from my 2011 word – FREEDOM.

Looking back on why I chose RISK, I see 2 distinct prompts.

1. The courage of a virgin.

At our Christmas Eve service, my pastor took an interesting twist with the Christmas story.

No matter what you believe about Mary, Joseph or the divinity of Jesus, you can’t deny the courage of a 13-15 year old girl in those days. It was obvious most people wouldn’t believe her story of conception (she didn’t at first, and neither did her soon to be husband).

Mary was willing to literally risk everything – including her life (Jewish law called the death penalty in these situations).

This is her response to the opportunity to bear the Christ-child:

“I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.”

Guts. RISK.

2. The machine gun preacher.

For Christmas, Kia gave to me the book Another Man’s War. It’s the true story of Sam Childers who traveled to Sudan to build a roof for a church and ends up building a compound for displaced children.

Childers literally drives the countryside of Southern Sudan and northern Uganda looking for children displaced or kidnapped because of the war raging in those countries. He travels with an AK-47 and a band of SPLA soldiers. He is a preacher with a machine gun.

Sam Childers has risked everything to save some of the 200,000+ displaced children of the region. He risked his life, his family, his business, his finances.

How to become a machine gun preacher.

The machine gun preacher and one called most-blessed of all women took huge RISK. That’s my goal for 2012 – take more risk.

I don’t think that means traveling to Sudan (or getting pregnant), but I’m open to anything. I’m ready to RISK.

But that’s me, what about you? How to do you practically develop and learn from your word of the year?

Here are some steps I took last year.

1. Think about it. Why did you choose your word? What are you looking for? What is the literal definition of your word? Spend some time with your word. Let it sink into your soul.
2. Share it. I chose to share via The Collective. Kia chose to share with her good friend. The key is to be “public” about it. This makes your word real.
3. Be open about it. Most likely, you need more of your word in your life. You aren’t an expert. Open yourself up to possibilities. I never expected keys to freedom were “NO” and “intentional”.
4. Stick with it. This is a word for the YEAR project, not a word for the week or month. Revelations will come throughout the year. Epiphanies will come at the end. Your life will not be different tomorrow because of the word your choose today. It takes time.
5. Enjoy it. This is all about growing, learning, and exploring you. There is no right or wrong.

I believe in this project. It has power. We are still in the first half of January, join in and be a part.

Take a risk! Share your word for 2012 here.

header image courtesy of flickr/amayzun.

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