In my quiet time for
the last several months, a word repeated itself. At first, I used the
English word and yes, that was a good word. It dawned on me,
I'm hearing the Hebrew and I know there is more depth than in the
English. This word continued in my thoughts, I
knew it will be my word of the year.
The word, Shalom.
Yes, it means peace and peace is beautiful. I breathed it in. Shalom
is more. One morning, I googled it. Oh, so much more. From the
Refiner's Fire site: Shalom- Peace (as a greeting)- wholeness or
completeness, soundness, health, safety, prosperity. It implies
permanence. Strong's Concordance- also perfectness, fullness, rest,
harmony, the absence of agitation or discord. Root verb- complete,
perfect and full. Sar Shalom means Prince of Peace.
A
mighty blessing on many levels. I started using it as I left my
patients' homes. So many need Shalom, the soundness, health and
permanence of this blessing. The depth of Shalom fills me with
reverence. I don't want to say it lightly.
I
give the meaning, too. It is more than peace. The realization that
I'm to use this word continued to push me, it is my word for 2019.
I
was praying and worshiping one evening, and thought I need to find my picture. I use a picture I captured during
the year to take me into the new year. The picture complements the
word of the year. Shalom, deep peace, needed to be felt in my photo.
I looked through my phone at all the pictures. I narrowed it down to
two, well, maybe three, as I reassess my pictures. And as of December
thirtieth, I haven't decided, maybe four or more. I think though, I
will return to the first one, I chose shortly after that night of
worship.
Then
I study them again. The word permanence
sticks with me. Does the picture convey a permanence? Or do I want
the scene of spring, flowers, or my dog in green summer to be
permanent? Shalom means more than only peace. I need to sleep on this
decision.
December
31, I decided. The picture would be of the old business district,
Broadway of Farrell, Pennsylvania with a rainbow after one of our
many rains this spring, summer and fall. Farrell started as South
Sharon with the influx of jobs from the steel mills over a hundred
years ago. Permanence as the city still stands after the decline of
manufacturing. The rainbow is the forever promise of God to not
destroy the earth with a flood again. I'm concentrating on the
permanence of Shalom.
I
wish you the blessing of Shalom, the deepness of this word and the
permanence of the blessing.
