2020 Word For The Year

One Sunday in November I was walking down the corridor after church chatting to someone. We reached the hall [and the queue for coffee] I looked back and saw we had lots of people coming behind us. "Excuse me" I said "something I must do" - and I went off to the cupboard to get out more chairs. A minute or so later, I realised the other person was also getting chairs from the cupboard and putting them round tables. "Has she got you doing a job?" laughed a friend. "Well, not exactly. She didn't ask me. I just sort of found myself doing it". Whereupon my friend said "That happens if you hang around with Angela. You find yourself involved in doing all sorts of unexpected things" And they both laughed.

And then a few days later there was a chalkboard on the wall in the coffee shop which caught my eye. And I realised that was what I should have for my word for the week year. #word365 for 202 = inspire**

INSPIRE 

1. Fill someone with the urge or ability to do or feel something
2. Breathe in -  inhale.

Middle English enspire, from Latin inspirare to ‘breathe or blow into'. The word was originally used of a divine being, in the sense ‘impart a truth or idea to someone’.

[1] This year I would like to be the sort of person who inspires other people to do good things. Not by preaching at them, or ordering them about - but by being the sort of person whose good habits 'rub off' onto other people. 

To help people feel that they can do it. [the Michelle Obama thing again - "are you good enough? yes you are"]

To show by quiet example that there is a better way [like Kezzie and her diligent recycling]

To defuse a negative conversation by throwing in a positive comment, or diverting the topic towards something worthwhile [whatsoever things are lovely...]

[2] And also, I want to inspire God's Holy Spirit - to be filled with his love, joy, peace and hope.

 With His grace, I hope that in this coming year I will inspire others to do greater things than they, or I , thought possible 

[** this is a Leap Year, so technically it should be #word366!]