Lisa's prompt for this month with our One Word post was for us to begin thinking about a new word for 2025 now rather than waiting until December or even waiting until January.
At first, I thought it was just too early for me to think along those lines. And then...
Strongheart and I went out for breakfast the other morning to a tiny little diner in the town of our county seat. It was there that I not only found something to share about my current One Word (kindness), but it was also the jumping off point for me for my One Word for 2025.
My husband enjoys the diner because of their delicious buckwheat cakes and with my eating gluten-free now, the buckwheat cakes are one thing I can have. We noticed as we went in that the diner wasn't very busy and soon realized that there was just one woman there and she was doing everything from waiting tables, to cooking, to serving the orders, and running the cash register. Normally, this isn't the case.
After we had been there a while, and gentleman came in and sat down, someone the lady obviously knew because she asked if he wanted his usual. During the course of our meal, we overheard the conversation easily between the two of them, as the gentleman's table was close to ours. He asked her how her eyes were doing, and she told him they were doing good since she'd had her cataract surgery.
It was her next comment that made me really sit up and take notice of this woman, who had already displayed such kindness and gentleness toward us as she took our orders and brought us our food. She went on to say to this gentleman, "Now, if we can just get this tumor to shrink or better yet, go away altogether, I would be great!"
So, here as we are witnessing her gentle spirit, we came to realize that underneath all that gentleness and kindness, there was a battle raging in this dear woman's body as she was dealing with cancer.
It was her smile that was so sincere and never once did we hear her complain...not even about being the only one out to work that day.
I thought about her all the way home that morning, and I have thought about her many times since. What a powerful testimony she has for she was no doubt a Christian. A Christian who trusts herself to the working of God in her life. She is a Christian with resilience.
It made me think of a quote by J. C. Ryle, "Christian, receive your trials, crosses, and conflicts patiently; bear them quietly; look upward, forward, and far behind them. Fight your daily fight under a steadfast conviction that it is only for a little while, and the rest is not far off."
The Holy Spirit made me aware that I was seeing that quote lived out right before my very eyes through this woman. It brought conviction. I tend to quit too soon, complain too much, and fail to go to my Heavenly Father first when I have the slightest of things going on.
It was then that I knew that my One Word for 2025 would be resilience.
Thank you, Lisa, for this challenge!
And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace,
who called you to His eternal glory in Christ,
will Himself restore, strengthen, confirm, and ground you.
1 Peter 5:10
That was an amazing encounter in that diner. God uses very creative ways to speak to us. Have a blessed week.
ReplyDeleteTruly, God has His way when He has things to teach us. Thankful for His mercy.
DeleteWow - that is an amazing story! I love how God was using her and she wasn't even aware of it. So often I feel like I need to plan words to say, or to do something, and here she was just faithfully living her life - and being a testimony! Thank you for sharing this.
ReplyDeleteResilience is a great word!
Mari, your comment made me think of how Jesus tells us in the gospels that He will supply the words we need in the moment. That's what this lady was doing ...just living out her faith...and God used it to teach me. xx
DeleteWhat a wonderful encounter. I like what Mari said--that God can use us even if we're not aware of it.
ReplyDeleteResilience is an interesting concept. I've wondered what the difference is when some crumble under trials and others carry on and even grow stronger. Knowing the Lord makes a big difference, of course. I'll look forward to what you share about what the Lord is teaching you about resilience.
Barbara, I think that's when He uses most...when we are just living out our lives as a Believer in the Lord Jesus.
DeleteI have to confess that I am a bit intrigued by this word Resilience...not sure where it's going to lead me in 2025, but then again, I wasn't sure where Kindness would lead me in 2024. It's opened up a whole new perspective for me and I'm excited to see where Resilience will take me.
Thank you for sharing this experience you had at the diner. It reminds me that there are so many stories going on around me with the people I encounter day by day. May God open our eyes to see. Resilience is a good word. Thanks for that quote from Ryle and the verse from Peter. Have a beautiful day!
ReplyDeleteMy dear Ellen, this encounter has caused me to wonder how many opportunities of learning I have missed because I wasn't looking...or listening to hear the hurt in people's voices...or seeing the sadness in their eyes. That quote from Ryle is one I shared a while back and it has stuck with me ever since I copied it in my quote journal. And I thought the verse from 1 Peter ran alongside it quite well...especially these words, "will Himself restore, strengthen, confirm, and ground you." Just pondering that God HIMSELF will restore, strengthen, confirm and ground me is so far beyond my comprehension. I know you know...and understand this...but it's in my heart right now, that until we realize who God is, we will never understand how sinful we are and in need of His forgiveness.
DeleteI love this story!! And I copied the quote to hang on my refrigerator for me to read each day. This is a great word and I need to learn to be more resilient. Thank you so much for this great post...It has touched my heart.
ReplyDeleteHello Shug! I'm so glad that you were able to engage with this incident that I experienced recently. May God be praised! xx
DeleteMakes me stop and think and then my issues don't seem all that great! Thanks for sharing Dianna! What a great word for 2025!
ReplyDeleteI hear what you are saying, my friend. This dear lady has such a sweet spirit.
Delete"...the rest is not far off."
ReplyDeleteThat is something to remember. Life is short.
What a powerful testimony this woman's life is.
DeleteSandi, those words that you mentioned...those are the comfort for us, are they not? Our rest truly is not far off.
DeleteI agree...this woman has such a powerful testimony...and yet, I wonder if she even knows that. She was just going about her business of living out her faith as a Believer in Jesus.
What a wonderful word for 2025! And what a wonderful encounter at the restaurant. Such a touching story. I don't know the lady's name at the restaurant, but I pray a miracle of healing takes place in her body.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Julia. I'm excited to see where the Lord takes me with it. Thank you, my friend, for praying for this dear lady at the diner. xx
DeleteWhat a wonderful and powerful story. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteYou are welcome, Bill. And thank you for reading and commenting.
DeleteAmazing story.
ReplyDeleteYes, my friend, it truly is an amazing story of how one person is honoring Christ with her life by trusting in Him and living out her faith. xx
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