Tend

My word for 2026

Tend

For the past few weeks, I’ve been sitting with the practice of choosing a word for the year, not as a resolution or a goal, but as a companion, a lens, something to return to when I need grounding.

My word for 2026 is tend.

It’s a simple word, but it holds a lot for me right now. Tend is what a gardener does, showing up daily, paying attention, nurturing what’s been planted, trusting the slow work of growth. It’s what a shepherd does, watching over the flock with patient presence. It’s active care without control, faithful attention without forcing outcomes.

As I step into this year, I’m aware of what I’m being called to tend:

My soul. Reading the Bible in a year. Showing up to prayer even when it feels dry. Choosing books over screens. Making space for silence and reflection.

My body. Daily health practices that feel small but matter. At 59, I’m learning that tending my body is an act of stewardship, not vanity.

My relationships: with family, colleagues, and friends. Thirty-seven years with Charmaine this year, that kind of love doesn’t sustain itself. It requires tending. Same with being a dad, a granddad, a colleague, a coworker, a fellow sojourner on The Way, and a friend.

My calling. I tend a congregation as one of the pastors at Edenton Street UMC, and I don’t take that lightly. Tending means being present, listening deeply, nurturing what God is already doing, and having the patience for transformation that doesn’t happen overnight.

The mystery. I’m preaching through a series on mystery this season, and I’m learning that we don’t solve the mystery of God, we tend it. We steward it. We show up to it with wonder and humility. Tending is counter-cultural. It’s slow. It’s repetitive. It doesn’t make for flashy social media content. But it’s the way things actually grow: gardens, congregations, friendships, bodies, minds, marriages, souls.

So when I’m tempted to rush, to multitask, to scroll instead of be present, I’m going to ask myself: What am I being called to tend right now?

If you’ve chosen a word for the year, I’d love to hear it. Comment yours below! And if you haven’t, maybe ask yourself: What has God entrusted to me that needs tending?