THE BLESSING OF NEW BEGINNINGS

In my last blog, I shared about one of the most beautiful of new beginnings, the birth of a unique and wonderful new baby girl named Lola.  There were a huge number of blog views of that sweet baby and some interesting comments.  People even shared their own experiences of being born anew through healing.  Thank you all for that sharing.  It blessed me so.  But, new babies are not the only ways in which things become new.  There are so many other examples of things being made new.

The inspiration for this blog came yesterday when my husband and I were out looking over an area of our yard that we are hoping to redeem from several years of destructive weeds like honeysuckle.  By the way, we were married last year in our 70’s – talk about New Beginnings!  The area surrounds a gazebo that hubby built with his own two bare hands many years ago when he had retired from his full time work as an engineer. I can only imagine the pride he must have felt when it was completed.  It is a beauty!  But then, I love Gazebos.

Then, He and his wife of 51 years had surrounded this gazebo with yucca (heaven’s candles) and other beautiful flowers including some pink ramblers and Joseph’s coat roses which are now buried in the weeds.  When he lost his wife, he lost the heart to tend the garden they had planted together.  Can any of you relate to losing heart over something that once brought you great joy?

Last week we had begun to dig out the roses and being Mother’s Day he had bought me the beautiful red knock out rose seen in this picture.  We planted it in a small area which we had managed to clear in front of the gazebo and one of the yucca plants which had just started to bloom so beautifully.  After planting the rose we set a chair over it to protect it from the animals which might have been tempted to dig around it in the fresh dirt.  What you see in this picture is what we saw upon our return this week.  Looks like redemption to me!  A New Beginning from something old and something new!

I read a new blog yesterday in which the author recommended focusing on one subject long enough to really get something out of it.  That is something that I have done often in my own Bible Study – take one subject and peruse the scriptures for any that are related to the topic.  Well this morning it occurred to me to stick to the topic of new beginnings for a bit and see if I can get you all to share your experiences with the rest of us. 

Many of us have stories of diamonds being mined out of the coal of our lives.  I am sure all of you know that we get diamonds from the pressure exerted upon coal until it becomes a shiny gem instead of a piece of old black coal.  I’d like to hear about those times in your life when you felt as if the pressure upon you would destroy you but later you came to realize that it really served to make you a more beautiful person.  I have heard it said “that which does not destroy us strengthens us.”  It is only through the Lord that this has been true in my life.

Matthew 13:52 -  Amplified Version – “Every teacher or interpreter of the Sacred Writings who has been instructed and trained for the kingdom of heaven and become a disciple, is like a householder who brings forth out of his storehouse treasure that is new and treasure that is old – both that which is fresh as well as that which is familiar.”  In this picture the yucca plant is an old treasure and the red rose is new treasure.  There is so much symbolism in the nature that surrounds us.  It takes a special ability to see beyond the weeds and the coal to the possibilities of gardens and diamonds.

And then, of course, there is the wonderful promise of the final making things new in Revelation 21:5. This is that chapter that talks about how things will be when all that we know here is done.  Here is what it says “And He who sat on the throne said, Behold I make all things new.  And He said to me Write, for these words are true and faithful.”  When we write about the experiences of our lives that bear out the truth of the scriptures, it seems to me that we are being obedient to this instruction in some important ways.  After all, that is how Jesus taught, very simply, by using word pictures about rocks and trees and birds.

Please write and share one of your experiences that would encourage someone else.  Meantime, I pray that the SON is shining into your life today and that He is lighting up every dark area that might tend to discourage you in any way.  I will be watching for your comments and looking forward to reading them soon.