| | my word. | |

Release + Hope—these are my words for 2021. 
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After vacillating back and forth between the two, I realized that it would be difficult— nearly impossible—to separate my surrender from the foundational hope that promotes it. The two go hand-in-hand. So this year, instead of one word, I have two. 

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Here’s what I mean: 
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Only when there’s hope that God is both good + faithful can we relinquish our unhealthy desire for control.
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Only when there’s hope that God is both sovereign + loving can we abandon our fear of the unknown as well as the uncontrollable.
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Only when there’s hope that God is both holy + perfect can we rest in His plan (even when it’s radically different from our own) while surrendering self-pity, discouragement, and all not-yet-realized expectations into His care. 
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Ultimately, only when there’s hope that the glorious truths of the Gospel are applicable to every ounce of who we are and what we do can we relinquish past hurts, present frustrations, and future bitterness. 

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If I wish to release—surrender, let go—all the mistakes, the unhealthy patterns, the disappointments, and the pain of years gone by, it will only be through Hope, in Hope, and because of Hope. 
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Not hope in myself, my plans, or my accomplishments but Hope in the goodness+ unfailing nature of God Himself. 
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Gospel hope is the stimulus that propels believers forward—through the valleys, the mountaintops, and everywhere in-between. 
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So, as I approach this coming year, I must admit that 2020 has made me more aware of my own shortcomings than ever before, and quite frankly, I have never been so uncertain as to what God is doing in my life than I am right now. 
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But it’s during these seasons that the Lord prunes us, grows us, purifies us, and molds us more into the image of His Son. 
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I’ll fail a few times, no doubt. I might occasionally seep back into old habits of selfishness, pride, discontentment, and misplaced identity. But by God’s grace, I pray that 2021 will be year of releasing + hoping, as I learn to model my Savior more and more—one day at a time. 
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Cheers to a new year, friends. ✨

With love,

Delaney.