2025 Word of the Year
wraps, ata
My 2024 Word of the Year was “unfurl.”
And it was fitting… the Lord faithfully unfurled metaphorical petals within me like a flower blooming — through service to my family, my dad, and one of our granddaughters on a more regular basis.
One of our kids and their spouse moved in with us while they hunted for their “perfect first” bigger home and we awaited the birth of their second child, Heidi.
Lane and I had a quick trip to Colorado to meet and be enveloped by the love of our son’s future in-laws before returning in September to attend Jacob and Erika’s beautiful wedding.
This year some of my observable labor included serving at a few weddings, learning to format a collaborative work with the two amazing Abigails, launching Ash Island, a devotional novella, into the wild, writing weekly for an online women’s community, and spending time with the babies in church nursery.
Then a quiet pause before hosting Christmas Day with our family.
My daily devotions during this stretching season included reading a chapter or two of the Bible each morning, and a couple of weeks ago a word “bopped” me on the nose and firmly said, “ I am your word for 2025.”
There would be no use in arguing I knew.
“The LORD wraps (ata) himself in light as with a garment; he stretches out the heavens like a tent”
Psalm 104:2
Since then all things about candles, light, warmth, sunlight, the cosmos have been thrilling my heart as I consider His glory, creative ability, and person.
Wraps. In Hebrew, three characters compose this active verb, literally “who coverest”, transliteration ata and pronounced aw-taw.
Strong’s defines the word- 1. To wrap 2. To cover 3. Mourner, one who covers.
In this Psalm’s verse it is 1. The active verb of wrapping.
God atas himself in light as with a garment.
Light. Candle light. Heavenly lights. At Christmastime especially I’m considering His light birthed into the world and illuminating this dark, crying cosmos in such dire need of natal comfort.
His breaking in through a womb to be a babe in a manger.
And a young Christian friend shares a picture of a candle in her observance of Hanukkah… pointing out no shadow is cast by the light. The flicker completely overwhelms the darkness.
Even a blind person feels the warmth of its flame.
The Psalm 130 based lyrics of Watchmen Wait by Middlebrook Music, Stephen Hester, 2024 prods me further to consider the anticipatory aspect of waiting for this Light’s return.
“More than Watchmen wait for the morning light, I’m longing for the day of Your appearing.”
And in my imagination I am in ancient Jerusalem standing guard on one its gates — warm breath exhales and is caught away on winter wind. The star laden sky hides above grey clouds as I shuffle on cold stone in the darkness. I lean against a waist high parapet and gaze toward the dawn of His appearing. My gut is taught, shoulders tense. I take deep breaths to calm myself. Inhale. Exhale.
Will He come today? The anticipation is limned with pain in this pinching pause.
Then back to present day, reading in the glow of a computer screen. He is clothed in light, wrapped in it… James 1:17 reiterates He is the Father of lights, with whom there is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. Just like Elena’s flickering Hanukkah candle.
He is the one we need. For direction, warmth, growth. He is the Light of the world.
Our Flame ata in light will dispel the darkness when He returns making everything new with plenteous redemption (Psalm 130: 7).
