I began to wonder if the word for 2015 wasn't quite the right one for me, AIM. I felt myself floundering a bit, not sure what to aim at. Being led to John 15 in the Bible, the word "abide" kept jumping out over and over as Jesus tells his disciples, "abide in me."
When I looked up the meaning of "abide" in the verse on the online Bible reference
and the definition in Google, I found that Abide means: to continue to be present, to be held, kept continually, to live, to remain as one. The text, imagery of the vine, and the meaning of the word abide inspired the artwork and lettering in the left margin of the Bible page.
I read a number of versions of the text on
and wrote the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) of John 15:4-5 in the margin below the artwork, where the word Abide is used five times.
"Jesus said, "Abide in me as I abide in you.
Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself
unless it abides in the vine,
neither can you unless you abide in me.
I am the vine, you are the branches.
Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit,
because apart from me you can do nothing."
When I reread the verse now with the deeper meaning of the word, I personalized the text and put the meaning in place of the word to gain more insight into what the text means for me. Here is the example:
Jesus says to me,
"Continue to be present in me as I live in you.
Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself
unless it is kept continually in the vine,
neither can you unless you are continually held by me.
I am the vine, you are the branches.
Those who remain as one in me and I in them,
bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing."
-adapted from John 15:4-5
Then it hit me, one of those "Aha!" moments.
AIM
is also an acronym:
Abide
In
Me.
No more doubting about my word for this year! I am to aim at abiding in Jesus continually this year. In asking God for further insight, I asked, "Why not the word Abide?" Then I realized why. It is harder for me to have courage and take steps of faith than it is to be still. Aim is an action word. One cannot hold the aim for long without shaking, losing focus, or strength waning. It requires intentional focus, then the action of pulling back and releasing. I am more grateful for my word this year that challenges me to abide continually with God, take aim, and release.