New Things

Yesterday was another painting day! This time I emptied (almost!) my bedroom to give it the first new paint job since we moved here over 8 years ago. I can't believe I waited that long. We traded our tan and brown walls for North Island (gray) and I deep cleaned everything. It was hard work, and I still have to go through everything we had in our room to declutter and get the necessities put back. The weather was so nice yesterday, so I was able to leave the windows open in the house to help with the paint smell. Last night, I managed to get the bed put back together and made up with freshly cleaned bedding and the pictures on the walls.



Even though nothing but the paint color and absence of dust bunnies is changing, it still feels like a brand new room. Pleased (and pretty tired!), we closed up the house, turned on the air conditioner, and went to sleep in our "new" room last night. In the early hours of the morning, I woke up with a dire need for ibuprofen.

It occurred to me that often times new and exciting changes can be accompanied by massive headaches and lots of hard work. Often, the best things in life are not the easiest.

Lately, I have a lot of friends who are experiencing a new season in their lives. I have friends who have new babies, houses, jobs, churches, cities, promotions, spouses, opportunities, and seasons of life.

Isaiah 42:9 says,
“Behold, the former things have come to pass,
Now I declare new things;
Before they spring forth I proclaim them to you.”

Sometimes God does new things in our lives. We might be excited and jubilant, but once we step into them, we may find that they are accompanied by challenges, headaches, or obstacles that require hard work. Babies are accompanied by interrupted sleep, spit up, dirty diapers and more, but the snuggles, smiles, kisses, and tiny toes make all the unpleasant work more than worth it. Moving to a new home is a huge undertaking, but settling in the new place God gives you is a delight. New surroundings help give us a fresh perspective.

The word "new" is filled with optimism and hope. I'm so grateful to God for even the small "new things" He is doing that help to bring a renewed vigor for life and a sense the the hard work and headaches are worth the result.