A duet of DELIGHT - One Word 365 for 2013

Alece Ronzino's One Word Community is inspiring. The concept is simple and effective. Instead of a New Year's resolution, with God, choose a word and focus on it for the 365 days of the year.

After a year of learning about the 'unforced rhythms of grace' with God in the most amazing and unexpected ways (a blog post for another day), once again I will be joining these other not-so-ordinary people and our extraordinary God and choosing a touchstone word for the year. Read the original challenge. Join us. You will not regret it.

God's response to my question of what we would be working with this year was a surprise. In fact, considering how I've been struggling, you could've knocked me over with the proverbial feather when I heard this one.

Over advent, our church mulled over waiting for Emmanuel, preparing for Emmanuel, surrendering to Emmanuel and then, finally...the word 'Delight'. 'I will delight in You, Emmanuel'. I told Him that I have absolutely no idea how to get my head around the word 'delight'. No idea how to 'get there'. In fact, I feel as though I'm still in the waiting, preparing and surrendering phase. Endure would surely be a much more appropriate word right now.

Our meditation for that final advent Sunday was from Zephaniah 3:14-17:

“Sing O daughter of Zion… Be glad and rejoice with all your heart…. The Lord, the King of Israel is with you; never again will you fear any harm…. The Lord your God is with you. He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with His love. He will rejoice over you with singing.”

In 'Advent 3', A Time for Courage, Adele Calhoun from Transforming Center comments:

...it’s not just God’s people who sing to him. God sings over us with delight as well. Advent is a season where we remember the sacred duet between God and his people – the duet of delight.

For now, I believe God is saying that I asked Him to come throughout the Christmas season (O come, O come Emmanuel), and now He is here. I waited and I hoped. I prepared and I surrendered. And He is here. I'm not sure about the celebration or delight bit, but He's here. It's a great comfort. It's enough. It's the first notes of the duet to be sung this year.

How about you? If there was one word which you could use to help you to focus throughout the year on what God wants to do in your life, what would you choose with Him for 2013?