Cultivate

verb - to improve by labor, care, or study: cultivate the mind*

This word has been on my mind a lot in the last few months of 2022; as that year drew to an end I began wondering what it would look like to go into a new year with a mindset of eagerness to put in the work required for improvement.

"The work required" - a hard phrase to stomach.

The word "Cultivate" came to my attention first from an IG account I follow that created a sermon series based on the word and offered extra resources to go along with the sermons. The next nudge came from the Advent study from She Reads Truth called "Joy of Every Longing Heart" which goes through the hymn "Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus," composed by Charles Wesley, line-by-line and points to the Scriptures that give those lines a faith-filled foundation. This study furthered my yearning to "Cultivate" because it became exceedingly clear that Charles Wesley knew Scripture very well; when I read his words next to God's I found a deep desire to have a faith rooted in God's Word so much that I can share in a way such as Mr. Wesley has.

So how do I get there?

The "how" question has always been the one that haunts me. HOW do I get to that deeper level of relationship with Jesus? HOW do I get to the point of hearing Him and the "just knowing" that something is from God? HOW do I cultivate a rooted faith?

I guess we will find out together! As of right now, the goal is more Bible time and less other stuff.

As we are two weeks into the new year, I am feeling pretty good about this first step of cultivating deeper roots; I've started a "One Year Bible" that has an Old Testament, New Testament, Psalms, and Proverbs reading for each day. I am also rearranging my routine to allow for mornings with Jesus which means squeezing in workouts in the afternoons - not my favorite, but so far things are working ok. Another intentional step is having devotional time as a family; we have tried before and always seems to peter out, but I am determined to push aside my desires in order to cultivate my relationships with my kids and husband.

Three fairly specific things that "feel" just the right amount of challenging for the moment. I tend to create ginormous goals and then I get overwhelmed just thinking of them which leads to shut down and ignoring them altogether by allowing myself to become distracted. I know these three new rhythms will, at times, make me uncomfortable, but more importantly they are simple enough that it will be hard to talk myself out of following through.

Whether you set new years resolutions or choose a word for the year, my prayer is that as a community we can cheer each other on in our growth and support each other during the challenges.

*Merriam-Webster Dictionary, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cultivate