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Finding Healing One Word at a Time

| written by Mandi Hart | 0 comments

In 2015, a horrific event shaped my life so profoundly that I would spend the next few years healing and recovering. 

My daughter and I were involved in an armed robbery in our home. Four men came with weapons and tied me up while they proceeded to steal just about everything of value in our house. Forgiveness for the men came swiftly, but what shocked me was the long-term effects of the trauma in my mind and emotions.

Along my way of learning to live without fear, I stumbled across OneWord365. At the time we were leading a missions community, and I encouraged our team to embrace this One Word challenge.

In fact, I never realized how profound the simplicity of this challenge could inspire and usher in healing.

I saw people pick words such REST, ADVENTURE, PLAY, FUN, RESTORE, HUMILITY, BRAVE, LOVE, FUN, TRUST, and more. Moreover, I saw how it slowly worked its way into the recesses of my soul to lead me to a place of greater wholeness.

When you go through such hardships, there are two places you can turn. Either you can turn to God, or you can harden your heart and move away from Him. I chose the former. Turning to God in my pain was the best thing I ever did.

Our greatest gift to the world around us can come from our testimony and our places of brokenness. It’s from that space of brokenness that we become vulnerable, and if we allow healing to happen then what we have to offer those around us is a gift to them and us.

“Vulnerability is the birthplace of innovation, creativity and change,” wrote Brené Brown. This One Word challenge led me into a vulnerable place, but a good one.

One of the ways, I continue to pursue a fearless life is through my annual One Word challenge — and whoever is around goes through it too. It’s that good. I think this challenge is rooted in hope. Hope, by its nature, is future-focused. We look ahead to the year to come, yet it draws to the present, the here and now.

GOOD THINGS TAKE TIME, AND HEALING TAKES TIME.

How is your One Word steering you right now?

This One Word for 2019 fires my soul. It stirs me to fearlessness. And no, that’s not my word. Fearlessness is like a muscle. It takes time to develop. However, I know from my own life that the more I exercise it, the more natural it becomes to not let fear run my life. We can all be victorious.

My One Word is Creativity.  In all honesty, that wasn’t what I wanted it to be. I initially thought it was humility and I even did the full exercise in pursuing that word, but in the back of my mind, this call to learn to live with creativity kept emerging. It came up in my dreams, my natural conversations, even in the Word of God. So, I surrendered from what I thought I wanted to what I actually sensed is a long journey.

As a result, I’m on the road to fearless CREATIVITY.

What does it mean to be creative? For starters, I can’t draw (and yes, I know that creativity and being able to draw are not the same thing). I am learning to embrace creativity in the way I see life, the way I run, the way I parent, the food I cook, and the way I love.

Love feeds off creativity.

In my life, it always comes down to love. If I know the God of love, then He will speak words of creative love to me and over me. If I love others well, then I will allow creativity to spark that response to them. Creativity requires vulnerability, humility, and fearlessness too.

So, now we are well into the year. How is your One Word challenge going? How is it inspiring you to move forward and how is it motivating you to feed your soul?

Mandi Hart is an author and blogger. She loves people and carries the nations in her heart. She is training for a half-marathon and loves good food and great coffee. Mandi lives in heart of the winelands, a place called Stellenbosch, South Africa. You can visit her online at MandiHart.net.