2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if anyone is in the Messiah, he is a new creation. The old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
As I sit here in my new home I glance outside and become overwhelmed. Why? Well this new home we purchased comes with a variety of gardens and flower beds. I am struggling because these gardens are the sort of gardens I am not used to. I am used to a structured garden where every flower has it's place. Well these gardens were not planted by me. When the flowers began popping up I was curious. Then I noticed a large variety of these plants and flowers popped up wherever they wanted to and spread throughout the gardens. No structure at all, no pattern. This is a control issue for me. I want to be in control of this garden and I can't.
Spring is a time here in Michigan that I love. All thing start to come alive. The old dead leaves are gone, new ones are opening. The dried up flowers left over from the winter freeze is being replaced by a fresh new flower. The hard surface of the ground begins to break anitiesway to allow new life to burst forth from below. New life, new beginnings, new start. The harshness of the winter freeze is gone (well almost). The season of hibernation is done.
The thing about spring that amazes me is that for months these flowers, these plants, these trees appeared dead. There was no life in them at least that is the way it appeared to the naked eye. But if we were able to look underneath the surface, deep down below, we would probably see the roots growing stronger and going deeper in search of nourishment. The struggle of plants and trees in the winter is real and yes sometimes the harshness and bitterness of winter can kill even the hardiest of trees and plants. Sometimes the cold is too much for the even the perennial plants and flowers that were created to withstand this weather.
Spring, new life, a rebirth if you will, means another chance, another opportunity to make things brighter and better. Without fall and winter, there would be no spring, no summer. I love the 4 seasons here in Michigan because it gives me a chance to witness the miracle of life and death. It allows me to appreciate the spring and summer months. It allows me to rest from my gardening ( ha ha). Seriously the anticipation of new life with new possibilities intrigues me and challenges me.
New life! New challenges! New opportunities! Getting rid of the old in my garden is as important as getting rid of the old me, the me I used to be. I have a new life, new challenges and new opportunities to grow and allow God to redirect me. As a believer, as a disciple of Jesus Christ, I became a new Debra. I allowed God to redefine who I am and who I want to be. I allowed God to transform me and change me. No it wasn't always easy. And at times it was painful.
The books I read suddenly became more important. The shows I watched on TV became more challenging to me. My choice of music impacted me more. And if I can be honest, my choice of friendships also changed. The old books were given away. The old TV shows I used to watch became a thing of the past. My music became more of the new Christian music. By allowing God to change what I what I watched, what I read and what I listened to, this also began to change my mind and my words.
I am becoming a new creation, a new Debra. Yes I am still becoming. I will continue this process until the day I am in eternity with Jesus Christ. You see when I began really believing in Jesus Christ, I got rid of the old garbage that held me back and weighed me down. I became more peaceful, more happy, more content. I became the me God called me to be.
Today I challenge you all to surrender control of your life totally to God. Allow Him to redefine who you are and who you were meant to be. Allow Him to get rid of the old garbage, the pain, the bitterness, the anger, the guilt and the lies of the past. Allow Him to shine His light through you and put a sparkle back into your eyes and peace in your heart.
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