This week a clergy colleague gave me a helpful hint related to spirituality and cyber security. She said you’re supposed to change your passwords at least once a year. So, she combines that recommendation with selecting a “word of the year” each January. 2020 was her first year to do this, and she chose “happy” because she wanted to invite more happiness into her life. It made sense at the time. Soon she was typing in passwords that included a combination of letters and characters and the word “happy” for her various online accounts. It served as a reminder and reinforcement of her intention for the year.
Little did she know Covid was coming, and the year would be anything but happy. However, her passwords became a small protest against the fear and confinement of the pandemic – much like lighting a candle can be a protest against the darkness. Happiness would have to be a choice, she thought, as she clenched her jaw and hammered out the word with determined fingertips.
The next year, her passwords included “faith” because we all needed faith to get through the pandemic. In 2022, the word was “wonder” – as in, wondering what the world would look like as we emerged and watching for movements of the Holy Spirit in the process. This past year, her word was “stretch.” She anticipated some changes, and she indeed stretched herself in her career, relationships, and spiritual life.
There is power in setting intentions. If you have ever taken up yoga, you will likely recall a time when the instructor told you to set an intention for the class. An example might be opening your heart, becoming more grounded, letting go of expectations, or simply strengthening your body. You can do the same thing with contemplative prayer, which is akin to meditation. Just ask yourself, “Why did I show up today? To what will I dedicate the next ten minutes of silence and stillness?”
Writing this reflection has led me to pick my word for the rest of the year. I’ll keep it to myself since I might be working it into a password or two. If you do the same, let me know how it goes. Whether you make your word part of a password or write it on a piece of paper that you stick to the bathroom mirror, it will become its own sort of prayer. One that you and God work on together to manifest in your life.
Adrian+