Word of the YearSample

Looking for Patterns

Remember on Day 3 I shared about my “joy” year? On the surface, that year was in fact a year of sorrow, exhaustion, and brokenness; yet God saw a larger story on that December day. He sang JOY over me in the mourning-to-dancing song on my patio with our new puppy. With the word “joy” in my heart, I headed to the Bible, asking God to open me to his vision of joy. Of the multitude of verses to choose from, I narrowed my list down and wrote about 15-20 passages that resonated with my heart.

Where were the patterns in these verses that were speaking to my heart? It was in this process of pouring over my list of verses that I noticed how many times sorrow and grief are mentioned in the exact same sentence as joy. One verse was Psalm 30:11. The mourning-to-dancing worship song that came to mind on my patio is actually based on that verse, “You turned my mourning into dancing!" God began singing his fuller story over my heart in those early days and weeks of my “joy” year. He was gently preparing me to navigate the grief and mourning with my Comforter by my side with every step. I experienced being held and guided even as I tasted the smallest surprises of joy that year. Puppies, snowscapes, eagles, waves, and even the characters in books put smiles on my face that year, surprises of joy poured out by a Father who carried me in months of mourning.

Today is your invitation to see the patterns in the verses before you. Here are a few questions to help you begin:

• What patterns do you see?
• Are there other words that are commonly mentioned with your word?
• To what broader themes does your word connect?
• Do the Old Testament and New Testament differ in their way of approaching your theme?
• During my “hope” year, I noticed a pattern with the word “in” following hope. I made a list from my verses of what God guides us to hope “in” and what he doesn't desire for us to hope “in”. How can you learn from the patterns of connecting words in your verses?

As you ponder all this with God today, consider asking Him:

Father, what pattern(s) do you long for my eyes to see today? How does this pattern in my theme connect to places in my story?

Jesus, thank you for your love of words and storytelling. Would you open my heart to how you might be speaking or feel about my theme word?

Spirit, would you awaken my heart to the larger story you are writing in my life this year? What specific concept within this theme connects to the story you are authoring? Please reveal what you long for me to discover!