The Story of our Lives By Cortney Donelson

Source Cred: Unknown

Peace

Joy

Courage

Obedience

The words above may be familiar to you if you have followed my devotions for any length of time. They are the words I have prayerfully used to enter each of the past (now) five years with a focused blueprint of how I wanted to live out that year. These were not words I randomly chose nor were they words I necessarily felt enthusiastic about at the beginning of each year. These words were selected by an intentional time of prayer and discernment. I believe God gave me each word. 

This devotion is my proof of that very statement. God gave me each word, and as I lived out the year with that particular word as the foundation of my decisions and perspective, miracles happened. God showed me the way. His way. 

This year I have a new word, but I’ll reveal it in a bit. First, I would love to take you on a 30,000-foot tour of the past four years of my life. I want you to see how God used those words above to paint a precious story. It’s the story of my life. 

My word for 2012 was peace. After a thoroughly turbulent time in my life, God impressed upon me the need to seek out His peace and restore it in my life. On the brink of divorce, God saved us with His peace. When chaos ruled our schedules, and we were overbooked and under rested, God invited us to find refuge in Jesus. Because of my word, we put aside our busy lives, our unresolved conflict, our unforgiveness, and our constant running around. And, the Prince of Peace came and settled in our home. Every decision we made in 2012 was based on that one virtue. Others who visited our home noticed. An individual who had no idea that my word of the year was peace visited during the summer of 2012 and said, “Your home is so much more peaceful than mine.”  That one statement truly melted my heart and soul. It was my absolute confirmation that just one word can change everything. Thank you, Holy Spirit, for knowing the thing we needed most and providing me with the promptings to focus on peace that year. 

In 2013, peace paved the way for joy. That year brought focused intimacy with God and with family. As we began to settle into our peaceful routine, we found we were happier, more content, rested, hopeful, and full of God. Full of joy. After two years without laughter in our house, we started to remember how to smile. Then joke and giggle. Finally, we remembered how to laugh again. We were living life with full trust in God. He had redeemed our marriage; we were past the chaos of recovery and had found His joy in starting over. God was trustworthy and we knew it deep in our bones. Circumstances were not perfect. In fact, they were difficult. But, we learned that joy is not dependent on our environment. Joy cannot be decreased, taken away, or even given by others. God is joy. 

In 2014, God offered me the word courage. This one scared the you-know-what out of me. I had no idea what magnitude of courage would be required for this particular year. As my devotion to God grew, I discovered that when given much, much is expected in return. Jesus reached out and asked me to be courageous in what He had impressed upon me during the painful years of Marc’s revelation about his addiction. Now, this particular year of 2014, the Holy Spirit showed me that my purpose was going to be revealed and courage would be required. Hurt. Heal. Help. I would need a limitless supply of courage to go against the grain of societal expectations. I was past the hurt. I was through the healing. Now, it was time to help. I was being called to step out of the boat. In 2014, I spent many late nights writing. Writing and revising. Revising and editing. I would sit in my office until 1:00 am or later, typing and crying, getting my story out. I needed the courage to relive the unthinkable. Courage to share the private pieces of my life. Courage to ignore the thoughts that I was not a skilled enough writer. Courage to ignore the opinions of others that I was must be crazy to be this vulnerable. With each passing month, I saw the fruit of all this godly courage.

Obedience. This past year opened with another tough word. I wondered what 2015 would bring. I speculated about what God was going to ask me to do. In March 2015, my book, “Clay Jar Cracked” was published. I thought that was the key to how obedience was going to frame the year. I was obedient in the writing. Obedient in the financial cost. Obedient in sharing my story with others. I learned that obedience is courage in action based on faith and a love for my Savior that surpasses all. We can feel courageous inside, but obedience is what is poured out for others to witness. Yet, God knew my year of obedience wasn’t finished yet. In October, God started to reveal more of how I might be obedient to His call. A couple of weeks before Christmas, I resigned from my absolutely wonderful job. My last day will be in mid-January. I love serving people near and far and sharing in the mission of an organization that is bent on loving others. However, God was calling me to pursue other things. Marriage mentoring. Writing. Speaking. I was saying no to my crazy-amazing job and yes to a path that God was revealing only one paver at a time. It was scary. It was the unknown. But, if I was going to be obedient to my God, I knew it must be in all things, not just the easy things. God restored my marriage and this past year, He opened some downright unexpected doors related to serving others in marriage ministry. He is giving me an opportunity to trust Him and go on yet another amazing journey. There is nothing more thrilling and gratifying than living the life God has created you to live. But, it takes hardcore obedience. I’m all in. 

Look at my words. The order. Their meanings. The story. They paint a picture of a wildly adoring God who will stop at nothing to ensure good things for those who love Him. 

This new year, my word is reflect. It’s the verb. I prayed hard about this one. God is not giving me a destination or state (of reflection); God wants the active tense – reflect. God is asking me to reflect on all that He’s done. He is pursuing me so that I might pursue Him. I have a secret desire. I am not going to share it (it’s between God and me), but it will require me to reflect. It will require quiet times, solitude, and prayer. I plan to reflect on His character, all that He has provided, and draw close to Him as He draws close to me. I will reflect on who I am, why I'm here, what my goals are, and where I came from.  I hope to really get to KNOW Jesus this year. Watchfulness. Expectancy. Intimacy.  

I have intentionally pursued my words each year, taking them seriously, and keeping them alive in my daily life. As my mini reward, God seemed to say to me, “Look back and see how they are writing a beautiful story of your life.” It’s one where God can be seen working out the details through His love and grace. I am so very grateful and humbled. 

What if you prayed for annual words from God? And, down the road, you looked back at them and saw the script of your own beautiful story. What would the words reveal about how God has led you, fed you, healed you, and asked you to reach and love others? Wouldn’t you want to gaze at the beauty of His workmanship? After all, it's the story of your life.

Prayer: Father God, thank You for your grace. I can’t help but fall to my knees as I look back and see how the words You gave me for each of the past five years have influenced my decisions and placed me in a position to know You better. To love You better. To serve You better. I am simply humbled. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen. 

Influenced by my prayer life, my book “Clay Jar Cracked”, Luke 12:48, Matthew 16:24-25, Romans 8:28, Acts 26:16, the song “My Story” by Big Daddy Weave, and the book “Interrupted” by Jen Hatmaker

©2015 As a Clay Jar. All rights reserved.

My book, "Clay Jar Cracked," is available on Lulu.com, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other retail sites, and including print, e-pub, nook, and kindle versions.