Provision and protection are my words for 2018. Do any of you pick a word to be your theme for the new year? Up until this year, I haven’t had one this early. Why? Well, the pressure of trying to live up to a word I pick just overwhelms me. What if I pick the word “joy,” for example, and then as things happen in our year, I forget to respond with joy? I would fail (It’s just the way my mind works…) So, what I do instead is wait to see how God brings certain things into my year and ask Him to show me what He is doing. It usually is a few months before I see a theme going through our lives.
Not this year.
Today is January 9, and I already have not one, but two words. Yes, indeed. We have jam-packed so many events into the first week-and-a-half of this year, that I already know what God is trying to show me.
It started on New Year’s Eve. We had family over and were going to celebrate with them by making homemade pizzas, shooting off fireworks, and having a bonfire. But first, I thought, let me throw a load of clothes in the wash so I can stay on top of the laundry. We have a front-loading washer, and basically it broke mid-wash, which means we couldn’t open the door. You see, a front-loading washer cannot be opened if there is water inside it – it stays locked. So, after my husband tried several things, he finally had to rig a wet-vac hose and some plastic cups to vacuum out the water so we could open the door and figure out what was wrong.
Twice…As we were “celebrating” for New Year’s Eve…
Long story short, we had to buy a new washer (which will not deliver for two weeks!). So, no laundry.
Amidst that, my husband came down with a 3-day cold bug that knocked him out. One-by-one, it made its way to each of us (I am just now able to get back on my feet). You can imagine the difficulty of not having a washer while you have sickness in the house!
Oh, and did I mention that our air conditioner/heater unit broke? Yes, we had to have the repairman out here THREE times to finally get it fixed. Meanwhile, we froze while we were sick (Florida’s 28-degree cold snap hit for a couple days during this time).
Next in our continuing saga, our shower handle broke off the wall. After Dave tried to fix it, he realized that it was a broken cartridge, and that it required a plumber to repair it.
The grand finale was a car accident. While I was trying to sleep off a fever and stuffy head, my husband was running errands and was hit by a red-light-runner. Thankfully, he was not hurt, but because of the angle of the impact, four cars were involved. The entire front end of his car (both sides and the front!) was smashed. Oh, and the driver at fault was driving with a suspended license and has no insurance.
So here we are, nine days into 2018, with a long to-do list that I was not planning on. It includes germy laundry piling up that I can’t wash, repairmen for the a/c-heat and shower, new washer delivery (can’t wait until Friday!), paperwork for the car insurance company plus taking the car in to get an estimate on the damage (praying it won’t be totaled – it’s paid for), all while trying to recoup from the last few days of feeling like I was a limp piece of spaghetti.
Well, I could certainly mope and wallow in this terrible beginning of the year. But I know there is something else happening. You see, even though we have things breaking, we do have the ability to replace them. We had to do a bit of financial shuffling, but we can still do it. So, I am grateful for God’s provision.
The sickness? Well, I know many people who deal with continuing illness daily. As I was sick, I was pretty sure that in a few days, I would be better. What a blessing that God protected me and my family from getting something worse.
And the accident? If my husband was just a few feet further into the intersection when he was hit, he might have been terribly hurt. I know that God protected him.
So instead of asking God why he would allow all this mayhem to happen in the last several days, I am realizing that He protected and provided for us. He protected us from getting a sickness that was worse than what we had. He protected Dave by keeping him from getting hurt. He provides for us so that we can fix the things in the house that need fixing. He is present. He is engaged.
Therefore, protection and provision are my words for the year. I know they can potentially involve drama like we’ve already seen, but what a wonderful God we have who knows our hurts and our difficulties. As the events of this year unfold, then, I choose to look for his provision and protection in it.
Do you have a word for the year?
14 Comments
Wow oh wow oh wow!! I’m saying a prayer for you and your family! So glad your husband was not injured!
Thank you, Trudie!
Oh Sherri–I had no idea you all were going through such upsets. I do hope all comes out well. It is Gods’ will that Dave did NOT get hurt in that accident. I pray the SUV is not totaled. We , too were and still are pretty sick. I came down with anxiety attacks and have been on calming meds but wake up groggy which I don’t like either. This Bronchitis is lingering and Dave still has his cough although he went to a health food store and got some really good honey called meluca (sp?) Prayers for wellness and sanity are what I will pray for. I think, so far, my word would be “sanity”. Take care Sherri and Dave and I will see you and Emily on the 14th!
Thank you!
Goodness! When it rains, it pours! I’m so thankful these are all things that can be fixed and that Dave is ok! Great words. Great reminders!
I am going with Joy because I want to really learn to be joyful in all things, not just the ones that seem Joy-inducing! It’s been a challenge already though, as we’ve been hot with some shockers we weren’t expecting.
We are so grateful for what God has already done for us this year. Isn’t it interesting how we learn so much more about our “words” when we go through challenges? 🙂
Oh goodness! I’m sorry you’ve had such a rough beginning to the year but thankful you are getting better and that God protected your husband! Praying for a quick restoration of all that has been lost and grace to go through the process. Hugs Friend!
Thank you, Kimberlee!
What a fabulous outlook! God does protect and provide. When things like that happen to me I attribute it to Satan . God doesn’t do these things to me. This is just my view. God bless you Sherri! My word or phrase for this year is “Be still” .
We do live in a fallen world, where moths destroy, so sickness and troubles are here with us. And it is true that the enemy attacks us – indeed, God does not attack. However, thankfully, God is our Shepherd protecting us through it all and conforming us to Himself! Love your phrase!
Thank you Sherri;
If you don’t mind, I’ll join you in selecting these words as well! Thank you for your words and sharing the strength that you ask as provision, from God.
Your words touched me and I shared them with my loved ones. We know what chronic illness is in our home. No cure, underfunded/almost non-existant funding/denile/fudged research projects.
A tiny piece of the rubber ring on our front load was torn by some object. Enough that it couldn’t be repaired. The replacement was ordered in August and didn’t come in until December. I went to watch an online video to see if we could do the job. We ended up hiring the repair man to do because almost every side has to be removed and the electric panel taken off!!! While we waited the laundry was done at the laundry-mat…..until I got the “brilliant idea” to ask the repair man if he had a tuned-washer at his place. I was able to use it at the sink, with a little rigging.
-40 to -50C up here for a week. Power goes out at 3:00 a.m because of the main power line snapping. Thanking God for his protection and thankfulness for the new wood stove we purchased this past fall!
Perseverence and protection!!
Did the citrus fruit freeze? We’re enjoying our Florida oranges right now. My husband wants to know the price of grapefruit (1 or a bag) where you are. Thanks!
Wow. I know that we are not the only ones going through things, but it is sometimes better to open up and share rather than answer a “How are you?” with more than an “I’m fine.” And I am sure there are many folks going through much worse than we experienced. Thank you for sharing your challenges. One of our children deals with a chronic illness, and I understand the difficulties that it entails. I will be praying for you! Our local WalMart is selling a 5 pound bag of organic grapefruit for about $5 right now, but that’s because it is citrus season. The prices go up in the late spring. Thankfully, short freezes (just a few days at a time) are good for citrus because it helps the fruit to better develop sugars. Warmer years produce not-as-sweet fruit. Persevering and trusting God along with you, friend!
I wondered why I hadn’t gotten to read this until today and now I know. Earlier this morning my daughter was reading the book of Ruth for her devotion and I once again was reminded of what a beautiful picture of provision and protection in our kinsman-redeemer it provides. He sees us distress, He sets a watch over us, He pours out provision and He redeems and restores.God bless you beautiful woman:)
Indeed, He is our everpresent redeemer and provider. I am so grateful for that. Thanks for the reminder of the account of Ruth. I need to read it again. Thank you, Kelly!