Picture/Word Reveal for 2019

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.