Words
By Mandi Polly
Mitchell County, NC
Every year I choose a word to focus on throughout the year. I don’t just choose any word, but I pray about what word the Lord wants me to focus on for the upcoming year. Sometimes I know it before the year starts and sometimes it takes through January to know. When I look back, it’s so interesting to see how the Lord uses these words throughout the years as anchors.
For example, my words for 2020 were “Be Still”. At the beginning of 2020, I didn’t have any idea just how still the world was going to get or how much I would reflect on those two little words during COVID. Many times, it was hard to be still when I was so used to being busy. It was hard to slow down my mind, when everything seemed to be so uncertain and in such a mess. I had to be still and know that God would bring us through. It was uncharted territory during that year, and I clung to those words, “Be still and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10.
In 2021, I couldn’t get settled on a word. One night, I was praying and at the very edge of sleep. I was immediately awoken when I heard an audible, “Purpose”. I knew that it was the Lord’s voice. That year in January, my youngest daughter and husband got baptized together and we joined Grassy Creek Baptist Church, which we had been attending for about a year. 3 weeks later, my husband, Cecil, was severely injured at work. There were times we knew he could possibly lose his leg, or even worse, his life. After a year of many sleepless nights in a hospital, 4 surgeries, a blood clot, bone infection, 2 picc lines, a multitude of medicines, daily wound dressing and countless troubled nights, there was a purpose. During this same time, my oldest daughter also had her first baby, then 6 weeks later an emergency surgery and another unexpected emergency stay in the hospital. My mama, who was taking care of my youngest daughter and the new baby when each of us were stuck in the hospital, was also dealing with her own health issues. It seemed like we were just waiting for the next punch to come along and beat us down. Looking back, this was the hardest year of my life but one of the most rewarding. My husband deals with some small issues with his leg, but he is alive. My daughter has two healthy children and my mama is ok. There was a purpose. We became solely reliant upon God’s protection and we became closer as a family. Cecil has an amazing testimony. We all saw how God, our family, friends, and church came together to take care of us. We didn’t take life for granted anymore. We knew how quickly things had changed, but God had us in the palm of His hand. I can still hear that comforting voice, that I heard on that quiet night, “Purpose”. Romans 8:28 says, “All things work together for good to those who love God and are called according to his purpose”.
For 2024, my word was trust. There were many times in 2024, I had to just trust Him. I changed jobs and took a pay cut, to be able to teach at a local Christian Academy. I just felt led by God to go in an entirely different direction. It was scary, but I had to trust God and how He leads. I knew He would provide. My new job has been such a blessing. 2024 also brought the destruction of Hurricane Helene in the quiet mountains of WNC. Oh, how we all had to learn to trust God. And God did not disappoint. If you have been in WNC these past few months, you know He showed up in a big way that no one can comprehend. He continues to bless us in this area, as it will take years to recover. We tend to put God in a box, when He holds the future. His mercy, grace and blessings have no limit. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight”. Proverbs 3:5-6
I haven’t been led to choose a word for 2025, but I know that Jesus will give me a one that will be exactly what I need. Words have power. Words can ground you. The Word of God is the most powerful place you can begin. I challenge you to choose a word from the Bible to focus on in 2025. I think you’ll be glad you did, when you think back over your year at the end of 2025.
“I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.”
Psalm 119:11
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Mandi Polly is a lifelong resident of Mitchell County. She is a wife, mom to two daughters and a “Grandi ” to two of the sweetest grandkids. She and her family are members of Grassy Creek Baptist Church in Spruce Pine. She loves music and being creative.
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Read more from Mandi Polly Here.
