I Am New

How did you sleep last night?  Sleep is such a funny thing to me.  The entirety of the animal kingdom needs sleep in order to be recharged for moving on with life each day.  When we are at our wits end, tired beyond measure, confused by the chaos of the world, it is amazing what a good sleep will do to make us new each day.

As I’m falling asleep each night, my mind often goes to the topic of “how did I do today?”  There are nights when I re-live the events of my day, and I have peace.  There are others that I feel pretty poorly about certain aspects or actions since I opened my eyes that morning.  I think we all have those times.  But, no matter how much of my day was a struggle or fell short of God’s glory, sleep can often be the means to renew me.  Each day is a new start, a new opportunity to live the life God has called me into.

Jason Gray puts out some pretty amazing music.  He has more than one song that speaks to who we are as God’s loved and cherished creation.  The song “I Am New” is a (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-w6YG2NZguc ) is one of my favorites.

“I am not who I was
I am being remade
I am new
I am chosen and holy
And I'm dearly loved
I am new”

I could not help but think of my Dad when watching the video for this song.  One of his favorite things to do is take odds and ends, artifacts others have discarded as useless, or items that would appear to be of little value, and turn them into beautiful works of art.  His use of “friendly metal”, some old wood, a piece of an old tool or machine speaks clearly to how he views the world and what he has taught me and those around him; everything and everyone has value. Everything has a chance of renewal.

We see Jeremiah witness to this too.

“This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: ‘Go down to the potter’s house, and there I will give you my message.’  So I went down to the potter’s house, and I saw him working at the wheel. But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him. Then the word of the Lord came to me. He said, ‘Can I not do with you, Israel, as this potter does?’ declares the Lord. ‘Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, Israel.’ “ (Jeremiah 18:1-6)

God is continually renewing us.  We talk about this a lot in prison ministry with our incarcerated brothers.  The first thing they sometimes need to do is recognize that they don’t have to live the life that others may have relegated them too.  They need to recognize, as we all do, that we are of God’s hands.  He speaks a truth to us that we are worthy of His Love and the blessings He offers to us, which we only but need to open our tightly-clenched fists to receive.

“Too long I have lived
In the shadows of shame
Believing that there
Was no way I could change
But the one who is making everything new
Doesn't see me the way that I do
He doesn't see me the way that I do”

So, how did you sleep last night?  If not well, if not refreshed and renewed, it’s OK.   There is One who has already made you new.  The work of Jesus Christ’s redemption is already done.  All you may need is to accept the gift of His sacrifice and say to yourself, “I am new.”