Word Shift (part two): busy to full…receive instead of take…
image shot at the family dinner table
Dear Friends,
How is your new year unfolding so far? I’m not one for resolutions because as soon as I name one—a shift or change comes along. But I am usually always up for trying new things. So for this year, I am committing to a new exercise routine beyond my walking to adding some core, strength, and stretching exercises daily. The daily part is the commitment that is new for me. With the help of accountability I hope to stick to trying this new thing. How about you?
A few months ago, I shared another new thing; the practice of word shift. I was introduced to this practice through spiritual direction. Spiritual direction has been a place of deepening and opening up my life to God’s “wide open spaces.” His expansive grace, and love. Although this new thing began taking formation some time ago, it seems fitting for the renewing ways of this second month of a new year.
Let’s recall, from Word Shift (part one) what is being meant by word shift and the intention.
What takes place? A word shift happens when you take a familiar word, and notice its pattern of usage that holds you in some kind of stuck place, where life or thoughts become a little foggy or dim because the word has some trigger or effects you in some way that isn’t helpful.
Sometimes the word has a feeling of resistance. There are times where resistance is calling us to stay with the tension and ride it out, yet other times a fresh new replacement in the tension may be more helpful. We can explore and consider what may be more life giving for us.
When a word shift is called for exploring, we may try taking a word that we are feeling resistant to, or a feeling once named and give it another ‘word.’ And in order to understand more fully what is being spoken with this word, we may ask what is this speaking to me? Why does it effect me in this way (uncomfortable, frustrating, wounding, gapping…) Has this word been healthy or unhealthy?
A word shift is one to invite in to your time(s) of prayer, silence, devotional moments whenever you're ready to explore through the path of listening more intentionally, freely to God and with yourself.
I have experienced a word shift often on my walks, or even in a conversation, other times in a still and quiet place of heart and mind. When I recognize the word, I offer the word in prayer and wait to see how God’s presence is calling me to hear the word.
A wondering opens up the thought pattern(s) and a shift begins to move within my mind and heart and another word of offering replaces the one I came with in prayer.
Most recently, the word shift has been full instead of busy. I no longer desire to answer the question “How are you, what have you been up to?” with “I’m good. I’ve been busy” This response has felt like a closing down of relational interaction. So for me, I have been trying intentionally not to say busy but full. My day is full of this and that, meetings, time. Full leaves room for availability whereas as busy speaks I don’t have time for…(fill in the blank).
Full has a resonance of yes, there’s life happening in and around me, but I have time and am available for more—fullness of life.
Some other examples I’ve come to cherish are the shifts from: stuck to flourishing; striving to thriving.
With these words, I have come to recognize them and offer them in prayer. I haven’t done any action or work beyond this yet —this is what God’s spirit has done in and within my place of longing to shift, to hear His still small voice instead of the previous word and most likely the activities in life.
Oh how our perspective will shift and hopefully we believe it will come to effect our doing. The path we will choose if we are still paying attention to this shift will hopefully be healthier, restorative, and bring us life more abundantly.
Will this new word be uncomfortable? Most likely, until it settles like a handful of sand being dropped into a glass; slowly settling its way down and moving fluidly to rest on the bottom. Then I’m sure this process will happen again and again… until we are made whole in some way because of this word shift exploration.
This month’s continuing path with word shift is receive instead of take—to receive a photograph or image, to receive the world as Jesus did and does, to receive people and friendships.
Invitation. I invite you to pause and listen, to slow down and see if you recognize when you come to a place of needing a word shift. Offer this word and its tension to God in conversation. Ask Him questions with your own wondering. Take some time to reflect and journal if you wish your own noticing. Close your time offering God a prayer of thanksgiving..
