one word 2011

So have you heard of One Word 2011?

I'm not a New Years resolution kinda girl
but when I heard this idea it appealed to me for some reason.
One Word 2011 - choose one word.
One word, YOUR word for the year.
Instead of "I resolve to go to the gym everyday and lose 20lbs"
You just choose ONE word.
This seemed easy enough to me, I can commit to one word for the year!

My word
SERVE

I should have chosen an easier word!

I'm shocked how this one little word has affected my everyday life.
It's obviously been a good thing, but not an easy thing.

I've written about serving before
In fact I wrote a whole post on it!
Make Me A Servant
I have been called to serve my family--I know this.
But it's something I'm continually working on. It does not come naturally to me.
I've grown leaps and bounds but boy do I have a ways to go.
I must decide EVERYDAY to serve my family (joyfully)
unfortunately there are still (many) days I decide to serve ME and my selfish desires.

So how has my ONE WORD played into this?
Here is just one example of many:

{I cannot explain to you why this makes me so angry but it does..}
As you enter my home, you walk into a very small entrance.
Directly behind our door is a shoe rack (to put your shoes ON).
My dear husband has never once put a shoe on this rack.
He instead slips his shoes off and leaves them right in front of the door
so whoever enters next can promptly trip over them!
This happens Every. Single. Day.
And it infuriates me Every. Single. Day.
So the other day, I promptly tripped over his big, brown, smelly boot upon walking in the door.
Just as I was about to shout some not so kind words so he could hear me in the living room
I heard it. My word. SERVE.

Guess what happened next?
I did not shout or throw his boots or even mutter something under my breath.
I calmly picked up his boots and placed them on the shoe rack.
End of story.

WOW. That one word saved me from making a fool of myself by screaming at my husband
(who doesn't have a mean bone in his body) over a pair of smelly boots.
Do I wish Andy would pick up his own shoes?
EVERYDAY!
But I'm called to
SERVE.

So go ahead,
it's not to late!
Choose a word.
ONE WORD.
I dare you.