Find Your Tribe...Love Them Hard

This year I have struggled with my word for the year.  I had several that spoke to me and have spent the last month praying about them.  I just feel like I am on the edge of watching and be a part of something BIG God is doing and I want my word to represent that.

So, like in 2018, when THE word popped in my head, I tried to push it out.  (In 2018, it was "Consistent" and that felt soooo boring. It ended up being the word that inspired me the most out of all my words and that I saw God move through all year long.)  I kept going back to the other words I had put in my notes section of my phone.  I did another online quiz to tell me what it should be. I pretended that I was still praying and thinking about it.  I tried to rationalize why it was not a good one...

• It was too inward-focused and I want to be outward focused this year.  
• It has been over-used.  It was "cutting-edge" several years ago, but now it's just old hat and not original.
• It wasn't God-focused.

Then, we went shopping today.  I have been looking for a shirt that was a size smaller than I currently wear to be my inspiration to continue on my eating plan (I've lost over 30 lbs since September but still have 24 more to go).  It didn't take long and I found one I loved and wouldn't you know, it had the word I had been trying to ignore on the back of it.  And then, I found super cute shoes to match it and they were on sale for $10.  Did I mention the shirt was also on sale?  UGH!  I guess there's no more ignoring the word.

For 2020, my word will be TRIBE.

I found this sign last spring--I even took a pic with my dear friends with it--but left the store without buying it.  Two days later, I drove 45 minutes back to the store to buy it because I couldn't quit thinking about it.

For me, tribe is a word to describe my peeps--the people I love and who love me.  I have a tendency to spread myself thin and not be "all-in" with the people who matter most because I'm trying to do and be more for people who honestly, just don't matter as much to me.  I ask my girls to shhhh so I can hear a tv show (that could easily be paused).  I fail to grab lunch with friends I love because it takes effort and I want to be lazy or the opposite--tell myself I should be working instead of hanging out.

Tribe is people--the ones who matter.  The ones who don't sugarcoat the truth for me and who don't care if I wear make-up or have an annoying laugh.  The ones I KNOW have my back when push comes to shove.  The ones who challenge and encourage me and send a text at just the right time.  The ones I can do the same for without feeling awkward.

And to be completely authentic here, I don't think my tribe is complete.  I believe it needs to widen a bit and that makes me a little tired.  Tribes take time and energy and I'm getting old, y'all!

Brian asked me what having a word of the year does for me.  It keeps me on track.  It reminds me to open my eyes to what God is doing in and through and around me.  It focuses me on what matters most.

Here's my ask of YOU.  If you see the word tribe in a meme or on a written in a quote or expressed on a sign, would you send it to me?  You can message me, email me or better yet--text it to me (random happy texts make my day!).  This will help me keep it in the forefront of my mind and serve as a reminder to re-evaluate how I'm doing with my tribe.