Notes From ND
 | Author:
Mikayla Kraft, MT43 News Correspondent
MT43 News School Correspondent |
Mikayla Kraft
MT43 News Correspondent
At the beginning of the year, I prayed for a Word of The Year. I knew mine was going to be biblically based and directly from God, spoken over me. Instead of going through the year with very specific New Year resolutions, I decided to just grow in certain areas of my life. As mentioned in a previous article, I wanted to become a better steward of my money. However, I want to elaborate on one of the most important resolutions I have been working on. My word is attentive - paying close attention.
It took me two hours of sitting in silence with my friend group, lots of scripture reading, and a lot of reflection on the areas in my life that I struggle with. I chose this word because I realize that I go through every day with a task list, and as long as I check them off and I do them well, then it doesn’t need to be thought of anymore. As I have walked through this habit, I realize that I take for granted a lot of activities or simple things that I do daily. I knew that my attempt at becoming more attentive would require me to be intentional with it (Matthew 6:7) and that as I walked through this journey I realized that I would change for the better as well (Joshua 1:8; Proverbs 1:5; Romans 12:2; 1 Peter 5:8). As a Christian I know that being attentive can help us to grow closer to God (Hebrews 2:1), that it will not be perfect, but God will respond to our attempt (Jeremiah 29:13; Exodus 15:26). I also know that because the Word of God is reliable (2 Timothy 3:16-17), and our primary focus should not be on ourselves, but to God and others (Romans 8:5-8; Philippians 2:3-5), that as I pay attention to the details of what is around me and what I am studying, I can pursue this calling to attentive with as much effort as I can.
So far, I have been taking more notes in and outside of Church, taking in the beauty of creation, and listening and respecting those around me better, completely aligning with the verse speaking over the Bible’s reliability. For example, even though I have a great circle of friends, I have felt so lonely lately. As I have been attentive, I immediately recognized that my time in North Dakota is leaving me with so many memories that I am so grateful for and that this whole college experience is worth it.
My foundation is in Christ, so my Word of The Year may look different than others. However, I believe that if we all implemented a thoroughly thought-out word into our daily lives and our year, we could see growth in our lives and community, and maybe we can learn something new. No one is perfect, and therefore, everyone can find a way to grow in their season of life.
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PhotoCredit: Mikayla Kraft
Image 1 Caption: Attentiveness - my eyes are on the words, but my mind is on the meaning.
Photo Credit: Mikayla Kraft
