Do You Believe?

Elizabeth Estrada looks back on her word for the year, pondering the ways she's been challenged to believe.

This is the second year I have chosen a word of the year. I used a word of the year generator that gives you a word after you have answered some questions. My word for the year is believe.

At first glance, I thought it wasn’t a very interesting word or even a word that I thought would challenge me, help me grow, or anything like that. It seemed like a word that, well, I wasn’t very excited about at all.

The Lord, though, has a sense of humor and as always is the Lord for a reason. Now that June has arrived, I thought it would be a good time to “check in” with my word of the year. I will say that even though I wasn’t excited about it, I think about it or see it often.

One of the definitions Webster's Dictionary uses is: to accept something as true, genuine, or real. The Bible definition is to place one's trust in God's truth.

Sounds easy but it isn’t. The more I thought about it the more I realized I needed to grow in belief of a lot of things: myself, my choices, my strength, my courage, others around me and believing really believing that God knows best.

woman standing by seashore

As I was looking for a new teaching position, boy howdy did I need to believe that I would find the right position. God had a plan and knew exactly where I was going to land. Not only did I have to believe, but I had to wait and practice patience. I started looking and interviewing in mid-March and didn’t get a job until mid-May! For my type-A personality that’s a long time, to say the least.

Also, the challenges that come with raising an almost 15-year-old young man who may be (and is probably) autistic causes me many opportunities to believe that he will overcome his challenges at school, with his father, and his anxiety.

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God has given me many opportunities to believe that He will provide like He does for the birds daily. #catholicmom

In these first six months of 2021 God has given me many opportunities to believe that He will provide like He does for the birds daily. I had to remind myself daily and tell Him that He needed to help my unbelief when my type “A” personality wanted to take over.

Instead, I have held my Rosary, gone to Adoration, and called on Mother Mary for her patience and courage.

I am sure that I will continue to have opportunities to believe, What is the Lord asking you to do?

woman praying in front of tabernacle at church