My Two Words for 2023
At the start of a new year, I often choose a few words to give the months ahead some direction. In some ways, it’s almost a super condensed New Years resolution, but in other ways, it’s entirely different. It’s not so much about what I want to do, as who I want to be this year. It has to be short, sweet, and meaningful; otherwise, I’ll either forget it or ignore it. This year I felt led to two words: Happy Dad.
It might not sound overly spiritual or terribly profound, but those two words really do sum up the type of change I want to see in my life this year. See, I don’t quite know when or where exactly it happened, but somewhere along the way I’ve become a bit high-strung. I hate to say it, but my soul often feels wound tight. Truthfully it could be any number of things. Our world isn’t exactly a peaceful place to live right now…
I say I don’t know when it happened, but I’ve got a pretty good hunch—I think it started when our children outnumbered us. When there were two, we could divide and conquer, but when there were three we were outgunned and they knew it. Being the ringleader of that kind of circus has an effect on you.
Don’t get me wrong, I love my kids more than anything here on this earth. They are brilliant, creative, and a ton of fun! But something changed in me as I tried to ride the tidal wave of a busy family and a vibrant church—I became short. Not in stature but in temperament. Frustration often bubbled just under the surface, and the littlest things would bring it out. Maybe you know the feeling.
So I resolved this year to be “Happy Dad.” Not “pushover dad” or “absentee dad,” but “Happy Dad.” I wanted the face my kids see, more than any other, to be full of joy, love, and gratitude for each and every one of our interactions, instead of the one that was curled in frustration for the way they did their chores.
As for what inspired these two words? I think it’s the image I have of Jesus in my head. We all have one. When I picture Jesus, I see a face full of inexplicable wisdom, authority, and truth. I see someone I can trust with everything I have. But when I look into His eyes, that’s not all I see. I also see joy. The kind of joy you can’t hide. An almost irrepressible, uncontainable joy.
Sometimes we think of those two things as mutually exclusive, but I assure you they are not. In fact, I truly believe that one of the things that would surprise you and I the most if we were ever to meet Jesus in the flesh would be how lighthearted and carefree He was—how He joked and laughed with the disciples. I think we would marvel at how comfortable He was in His own skin, and how life with Him was so much more joyful than we would ever have imagined.
I picture Jesus with bright eyes.
Those were the eyes the disciples saw when they lay down each night to fall asleep.
See, joy is a fruit of the Spirit. That means Jesus was operating in that gift on daily basis, even with the weight of the world on His shoulders.
Since that image is so moving and powerful for me, I want that for my kids too. I want them to see the joy of my Heavenly Father in the eyes of their earthly one. It won’t always be easy… If the world is designed for anything these days, it’s to attempt to steal your joy. But it’s worth it. So “Happy Dad” it is. The two words I will say under my breath when I can feel the frustration simmering below the surface.
How about you? What are your few words for 2023?