Yesterday

Yesterday at work, probably against proper political protocol, I wished people a Happy Easter weekend.

It surprised me how many did not respond back. Maybe they are like I was…not knowing God loved them or uncertain if there even was a God.

Up until college, I didn’t really know there was a God. I was a quiet, shy person, introverted, didn’t like it, but didn’t know how to change. I was also afraid of dying…not knowing what would come next. My mother had had numerous cancer operations, all benign, but…it scared me that I would be next. And so, all my teen years, I lived in fear of cancer and death, unable to plan for a future, since I didn’t think there would be one for me.

At 19, in college, I had to find out about this ‘God-thing’. I had a dusty Bible on my book shelf, pulled it down, blew off the dust and opened to somewhere in the New Testament…John or Romans and read a verse saying Jesus was praying for me. I thought, ‘Why would He pray for me?’

In an instant –  at that thought, I saw things in my life I was not proud of  –  while simultaneously feeling that Jesus loved me. All of a sudden I realized I wasn’t afraid of cancer or dying any more. If I died I’d go be safe with Jesus. I felt light and free after all those years living in fear.

Decades have passed, yet I am free, I know God loves me even if no one else does. There are struggles in life, but no one can tell me God doesn’t exist, or that He isn’t helping and guiding me every day… listening when I talk to Him.

That is a portion of my ‘yesterday’. Now I live a new ‘today’ every day…each morning a fresh clean start.

I’m so glad I left ‘yesterday’ and moved into a brand new today!

God gives hope.

The Comfort of Our Past

Some of us, me being one of them, have some really good times from our past.

We camp out there alot along the little stream of memories thinking about the good ole days. Times were slower, people were kinder, there was less bad news…

We would listen to stories at dinner how the ice-man came once a week and filled up the ice chest (what was used before refrigeration) how the lights in our grandparents home went to gas and then electric, how the kids sledded down the main streets in winter, no cars to worry about, how pretty the wallpapers were on all the walls etc. etc. etc., and we kids were in awe! Let’s go back to the good old days we’d say. Dad would chuckle and say, “Well, maybe the good old days weren’t always that good. ”

Then he would tell us stories about cleaning out the clinkers from the old coal furnace and stoking it up again every day, then in the spring, they’d use a special rubber ball and rub it all over the beautiful wall papered walls to erase the soot build up…wash all the curtains and winter garb and hang out to dry. Everything had to be ironed, and there was no indoor plumbing to name a few.

I know some of you still do certain of these things by choice, but the point I am trying to make is we are continually progressing, things change and we don’t want to get lost in our past so that we cannot move ahead to doing and trying new things.

Perfect example: When computers first arrived in the home front, they were new and different. I was sure they were a fad and would soon disappear so I was not in a hurry to learn to use one. I have since paid for that wrong thinking. Instead of learning with the rest of the world on a gentle curve, I waited until it was a cliff I had to jump from to enter the world of cyberspace. Now I can’t imagine how we’d live with out technology.

So if anybody else can benefit from this, I want to learn from and relish the good parts of my past, but not get stuck thinking they were the better days and wondering why things have to change.

I want to look towards each day with excitement of learning and experiencing new things.

This month, March, is a blustery month, blowing out winter and blowing in spring. Let’s not fear the winds of change, but anticipate new growth and fresh starts.

Where is the wind blowing you?

A Fresh Start

Every day of our lives, we get a fresh new start.

It’s a new chance to begin , because every time God forgives us for something wrong, He’s making us new again. Our sins are forgiven; we’re in right standing with God. He loves us unconditionally. He makes our crooked ways smooth.

And it doesn’t matter what our feelings say or what the devil says, or what others say. God’s word says, “Behold I make all things new!  New in my life, new in your life, right now, every day as we turn to Him.

It’s springtime again and again in my heart with Jesus.

God is fresh and new to us every single day.

The past has passed and we are onto the new.

Turn it all over to God right now and have a fresh start todayJ