Beginnings

I am at a time in my life where at times it seems as if everything is constantly changing, and that life is all new all at once. Novelty brings to life an invigorating freshness, but because beginnings so often entail endings, they tend to bring feelings of sadness as well as joy. This past year has brought me many beginnings and endings, and it has been exciting to see God working through each seeming ending in my life, to bring about a bright and glorious beginning.

So often there must be an ending in order to make possible a beginning. So it is when one places faith and trust in Jesus Christ for salvation. II Corinthians 5: 17 says, "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." In order for us to grow in godliness, there are "old things" which must pass away. These might be sinful things that must be given up altogether, or things which, although not entirely sinful by themselves, nevertheless come between us and God. It is hard to give these things up, especially when they have rooted themselves in our hearts, but I suppose part of growing is gaining the strength to do that which is right, regardless of whether or not we want to.

Although endings may be difficult, the joy of the resulting beginning often grows until it completely eclipses the sorrow of parting with that which has been left behind.

My family moved last summer, for the first time since I was born. As exciting as it was to have a new house, and to see the way God worked to give us just the right one, it was very hard for me to give up my old house. I would find myself looking forward to having a bigger house with more storage, that was closer to my church, and at the same time wishing that everything would stay the same, and that I could stay in my dear home forever. Yet, when I stepped into the new house and saw all our furniture there, I felt immediately that this was now "home". Our new house has been such an immeasurable blessing, and I would not wish to be still in our old house, but the transition was harder than I would have ever expected.

I often wonder how many blessings I miss because of my unwillingness to pry my eyes off of that which I have left behind!