We are thinking a lot about new at our house. We have a new child living with us, and he is having a lot of firsts.... a new family (3 siblings, 2 parents, and 2 grandparents to eat dinner with every day!), a new school (and it's full day instead of half), a new bedtime (and it's earlier than ever before, but he has to be up earlier than ever before), a new routine, new doctor, new, new, new.... and all these 'new' experiences are really fun some of the day and really frustrating, especially at bedtime!
I'm recognizing how often new is fun, we have also have a new minivan. It's great. It's clean. It has all kind of fancy buttons/computerized stuff, a backup camera, and it even has a bluetooth phone connection... of course on the down side, I needed to watch my husband turn the car dvd player on and off, switch back to the front speaker cd player for 5 days straight before I could even feel equipped to turn it on, and I'm afraid I may never understand how to make the talk button computer control anything in the car! I'm on my second week of driving it, and I still push the wrong button to open or close the magic doors, and one day last week, I made my son climb over all the seats because I couldn't get open the magic door at school pick up time! (the pressure of a new car is only pale in comparison to the pressure of a new cell phone!!) I have known that 'new' can make me angry, frustrated and just plain grumpy when it's not one of my passions!
What I'm really realizing, especially as we hit April 1st and enter into the "Easter Season." That new things are often celebrated, they are normally positive, fun, and make people happy. But there are a lot of new things/events that aren't really the joyful celebration because they are new. New job, new marriage, new baby, new recipe.... all of those 'new' events actually require work, flexibility and sometimes time to really appreciate. New life in Christ is fun to think about at Christmas when we reflect on Mary and her amazing sense of wonder as she's chosen to be Jesus mom, and at a new birth of a new baby in a new unique setting, that of a stable. But at Easter New comes with a cost, and it's one we shudder at and get emotional about, recognizing that Jesus was mocked, beaten, crowned with thorns, prayed with blood drops He was so passionate as He talked with God, and ultimately surrendered to death in the most tortureous ways, a cross. None of this part of the story, says turn me into a poster and count down til we remember the exact time of my death. When we think about it, it says this was not fun, this was real obedience, real servanthood, real grief, and real death for a sinner such as me. And we don't find it fun, we are speechless and in awe, that God would sacrifice His Son for me! Thankfully, 3 days later, there is an empty tomb, there is great rejoicing, and their is a risen Savior. Risen to offer hope that if we believe, we can have new life in Him.
Watching everything new in this 5 year old's life, and trying to experience all the new things, ideas, and events with him is a roller coaster ride. Some things like new lace up shoes that feel like skates bring great joy and celebration, but other things like a new routine are exhausting parts that even bring on meltdowns. It's so much the same, an up and down journey with parts I wish I had recorded, and other moments that I pray I won't remember later.
It makes me think about Easter in a whole new light! (another NEW!) We were reading some simple Easter books tonight, and they both talked about new life because of Christ, and how new life in Christ doesn't end.
My new son, has an old stuffed caterpillar named Agatha, and when he's distraught, he wraps up in her. I, the ignorant mother figure, called it a worm tonight. He said- not it's a caterpillar, and I like it because caterpillars turn into beautiful butterflies. This reminded me that we are like those beautiful butterflies. I love the verse 2 Corinithians 5:17 and the image of new life as a beautiful butterfly!
So as we embrace all things new, I'm also embracing Easter in a new way. How can I make Easter something 'normal' for my new son, and also remind my other three children how their 'normal' might be new to someone else, and most importantly remind all of us that Easter is an old story, that if we remember will bring NEW hope, grace, joy, and peace to our hearts, minds, and souls if only we let it.
We'll see how much time I can gather to process in print, but I am eternally grateful in a whole NEW way, that while I'm on the NEW roller coaster ride with this new kiddo, I have a Holy Spirit who has fresh, new provisions ready for me each step of this emotionally charged journey.
Praying that every step, every moment, I can show that joy and hope in my love and actions because it is with Christ's redemption that I am anything at all! And I know that this NEW journey is one of redemption and sanctification for my whole household. And that it's all a chance to bring Glory to God! Praying that with the Lord's leading, we make this NEW way more about the fun, joy, and celebration, than the downside!
I'm recognizing how often new is fun, we have also have a new minivan. It's great. It's clean. It has all kind of fancy buttons/computerized stuff, a backup camera, and it even has a bluetooth phone connection... of course on the down side, I needed to watch my husband turn the car dvd player on and off, switch back to the front speaker cd player for 5 days straight before I could even feel equipped to turn it on, and I'm afraid I may never understand how to make the talk button computer control anything in the car! I'm on my second week of driving it, and I still push the wrong button to open or close the magic doors, and one day last week, I made my son climb over all the seats because I couldn't get open the magic door at school pick up time! (the pressure of a new car is only pale in comparison to the pressure of a new cell phone!!) I have known that 'new' can make me angry, frustrated and just plain grumpy when it's not one of my passions!
What I'm really realizing, especially as we hit April 1st and enter into the "Easter Season." That new things are often celebrated, they are normally positive, fun, and make people happy. But there are a lot of new things/events that aren't really the joyful celebration because they are new. New job, new marriage, new baby, new recipe.... all of those 'new' events actually require work, flexibility and sometimes time to really appreciate. New life in Christ is fun to think about at Christmas when we reflect on Mary and her amazing sense of wonder as she's chosen to be Jesus mom, and at a new birth of a new baby in a new unique setting, that of a stable. But at Easter New comes with a cost, and it's one we shudder at and get emotional about, recognizing that Jesus was mocked, beaten, crowned with thorns, prayed with blood drops He was so passionate as He talked with God, and ultimately surrendered to death in the most tortureous ways, a cross. None of this part of the story, says turn me into a poster and count down til we remember the exact time of my death. When we think about it, it says this was not fun, this was real obedience, real servanthood, real grief, and real death for a sinner such as me. And we don't find it fun, we are speechless and in awe, that God would sacrifice His Son for me! Thankfully, 3 days later, there is an empty tomb, there is great rejoicing, and their is a risen Savior. Risen to offer hope that if we believe, we can have new life in Him.
Watching everything new in this 5 year old's life, and trying to experience all the new things, ideas, and events with him is a roller coaster ride. Some things like new lace up shoes that feel like skates bring great joy and celebration, but other things like a new routine are exhausting parts that even bring on meltdowns. It's so much the same, an up and down journey with parts I wish I had recorded, and other moments that I pray I won't remember later.
It makes me think about Easter in a whole new light! (another NEW!) We were reading some simple Easter books tonight, and they both talked about new life because of Christ, and how new life in Christ doesn't end.
My new son, has an old stuffed caterpillar named Agatha, and when he's distraught, he wraps up in her. I, the ignorant mother figure, called it a worm tonight. He said- not it's a caterpillar, and I like it because caterpillars turn into beautiful butterflies. This reminded me that we are like those beautiful butterflies. I love the verse 2 Corinithians 5:17 and the image of new life as a beautiful butterfly!
So as we embrace all things new, I'm also embracing Easter in a new way. How can I make Easter something 'normal' for my new son, and also remind my other three children how their 'normal' might be new to someone else, and most importantly remind all of us that Easter is an old story, that if we remember will bring NEW hope, grace, joy, and peace to our hearts, minds, and souls if only we let it.
We'll see how much time I can gather to process in print, but I am eternally grateful in a whole NEW way, that while I'm on the NEW roller coaster ride with this new kiddo, I have a Holy Spirit who has fresh, new provisions ready for me each step of this emotionally charged journey.
Praying that every step, every moment, I can show that joy and hope in my love and actions because it is with Christ's redemption that I am anything at all! And I know that this NEW journey is one of redemption and sanctification for my whole household. And that it's all a chance to bring Glory to God! Praying that with the Lord's leading, we make this NEW way more about the fun, joy, and celebration, than the downside!
