New

A new car. A new haircut. New clothes. A new job. A new house. New friends. A new baby. A New Year. 


There's just something about "new".  No one ever says, "come check out my old car", or "wait 'till you see this old pair of jeans I have".  No one ever gets excited to tell people about a job they've had for 15 years.  I think we can all admit we like things a little better when they're new.  I don't quite love my Christmas tree today, with all it's dropping needles, as much as I did 2 weeks ago.  Those shiny things in the store that we just had to have last year have somehow lost their luster. 


As much as I love my house, I'm actually anxious to sell it and move. There is a leak in our roof. The garage door only works 2 days a week, and we desperately need new carpet. Like, really really.  I'm excited to move to a new country, to have a new house (new for us), and to meet new people.  


But what's with New Years?  There's really nothing more "new" about today than yesterday. It's just another day. But since it's the first day of the new calendar year, we get excited. We have hope. We make resolutions. We want to change.  We feel like somehow, we can start over. 


Nothing on this earth stays new. And nothing lasts forever. Not even you and me. Maybe that's why we seem to have an inborn love of the new; because the "newness" wears off so quickly. It leaves us wanting more. 


I love God's promises concerning new things.  God is the only one who can make anything new.  When we accept Christ as our Savior, the Bible says we are a new creation.  "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" 2 Cor. 5:17.  


That's a comforting thought to me--that I have been made new by my Creator. It's actually more comforting everyday since just last night, on New Year's Eve, I was plucking grey hairs from my head in the mirror. I'm grateful that my mortal body won't be stickin' around forever.  Yikes. 


What gives me hope isn't the New Year.  What gives me hope is that God is the maker of "new". Even the mercy, compassion and love that God shows to us is new everyday. "Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness". Lam 3:22-23.  


Every one of us has the opportunity to start new everyday. To have a new life; make a new decision; take a new step of faith. Take your opportunity. Happy NEW Year.