As 2021 drew to a close and I began considering my “one word” for 2022, it became increasingly clear to me that renewal was the perfect choice. I was excited and envisioned starting out the new year strong, creating checklists and action steps in my bullet journal. I could almost see the old habits, behaviors, and routines being replaced with better ones. Ones aligned with my values and goals. 

That’s not quite how things panned out. Instead, I spent the first 79 or so days of 2022 preparing for, getting through, and then settling in from my 3rd move in 27 months. I’ll spare you the gory details; trust me, it was stressful.

Renewal was never far from my mind, but I thought of it as being on the back burner, waiting for me to have the time and energy to give it my attention. Because, after all, I was the one whose responsibility it was to determine the new habits, behaviors, and routines; I was the one who needed to implement and maybe fine-tune them as well. Right?

But yesterday, while I was rocking Little Little (my youngest grandchild), it dawned on me that the past 9 1/2 weeks did not put renewal on hold; rather, they had been instruments of renewal.

And I’d had neither the time nor the energy to focus on renewal, much less take a single step in that direction.

While I was looking elsewhere — at packing and finding an apartment and setting up utilities and . . . — routines and habits were stripped away and behaviors have been changing.

I felt as if a huge weight had been lifted from me. I finally got it.

I don’t have to figure it all out and create a meticulous plan. 

I’m not sure yet what I need to do, but I know Who is in charge of that, and He’ll let me know in His own time.

And I’ll be ready to listen and to obey.