Last year when I prayed for a word from the Lord to encompass my year, I received it in a thunderbolt of realization. A chill up the spine, a near overwhelm of feeling and knowledge. I was waiting for that again this year . . . but since when does the Lord do what we expect? 😉

These past two weeks as I prayed for His message for me for 2012, I had slow, gentle trickles of inspiration–the kind I easily mistake as my own thought. But the more I pondered and prayed, the more I circled back again and again to a theme encompassed by these two words: Thirst. Savor.

I try to ground myself in the Word and in prayer daily. But so often I get sidetracked or distracted or just plain forgetful. How do I stay focused on You, Lord?

Thirst.

No one (generally) has to remind me to take a drink of water. Why? Because I get thirsty. This year I’m praying that I stay thirsty for the Lord and for His word. That I wake up every morning hungering for that quiet time with Him. That it isn’t duty, that it isn’t obligation, that it isn’t habit or rote–that it’s need. Longing. Yearning. Thirst.

But that wasn’t the only thing that I kept thinking. Because what do I do once I’ve drank of the Living Water, once I’ve imbibed from the Word? What do I do with the blessings He pours out into my soul and my life?

All too often, I get excited at first and then let the irritations distract me. I get frustrated with what looks like a lack of progress. Or with demands on my time that interfere with what I want to be doing. How do I manage that, Lord? How do I make sure I don’t just gulp down what You pour out and then forget you ever did?

Savor.

When the Lord gives us a gift, we shouldn’t act like my 3-yr-old boy does on Christmas and go, “Wow! Cool!” then toss it aside and beg for the next one. I know I sometimes do this, so this is a crucial word for me. I need to dwell on gratitude. To appreciate each and every place God puts me in, and each thing He brings into my life. To savor.

I’m yearning, Lord, and I’m lingering on what You give me, tell me, show me when I seek You. I’m thirsting. I’m savoring. And with Your help it’s a lesson I’ll learn all the better in 2012.