Doomed to New

I had an interesting conversation with my 9 year old yesterday.

He's very "planet conscious"...trying to consider new ways to care for and conserve the earth that God has blessed us with.

Well, I'm not sure what drove him to exasperation yesterday but like so many of us that become weary in well doing, he exclaimed in his frustrated voice, "I guess we're just doomed! I mean we're using up our water and destroying the ozone layer-I don't even see the point in trying."

Of course, this was a perfect teaching moment as a mom and I didn't want to waste it. I explained to him that as Christians-we are promised to never be doomed! That God plans to preserve our souls forever and to give us a brand new earth to enjoy! The only people who are doomed are those that sadly decide to reject truth and not be right with God.

I felt for Sam. It does get discouraging to remember the big picture. The more things change and the further mankind moves away from what God intended, it's easy to begin to believe that things are doomed or even closer to my home, "people" are doomed..unable to change, unreachable, unforgivable.

Matt and I are very blessed and privileged through our church to be able to participate in the accountability and restoration of troubled marriages. We meet with couples asking God for a sincere spirit of humility as we are consistently reminded that it is not people that save others...it's only God. Many times I'm burdened by the task. I feel inadequate, unable to communicate God's love without getting in the way.

But, most of the time...I'm just inspired.

I am constantly reminded week to week as I watch fallen people get back up by God's power to help them change that He is still working..still faithful to the faithless...still transforming the hopeless...still making things new. Just as He will do the amazing work of creating us a new earth to admire, He is still doing the intimate work of creating new marriages from broken ones to enjoy, restored families to share life with and new hopes for tomorrow.

We always think of God somehow "cleaning" things up, pulling something together from tattered pieces but that's just not good or "God" enough! He makes it brand new, better than before, more than you could have imagined.

It's always been His promise to us-we just forget it!

I can remember a day a few years ago when I felt completely hopeless in my life situation. I was driving to church (go figure) and I prayed the only prayer I could manage at that time..."God, give me something to hope in." I think everybody visits there at some point or another in their spiritual walk. You feel you have nothing to live for, no way to make things right, unable to "clean it up".

Later that day we went to a Steven Curtis Chapman concert and his first song was "All Things New". It was so amazing. I stood at my seat and wept through every note of it. I knew God was using it to minister to my broken heart. That day I turned and started walking in a different direction. I knew there was hope for me. I began to obey and He began to create...

So, as I sat across from my sweet, new friend this week as she cried out that she felt nothing spiritually...no hope, despair-I went back to that night in the stands of the Bi-Lo Center. I rejoiced within myself for me and for her. You see, He's still making everything new. She cannot be doomed in His family and care. He redeems, renews, restores.

I hope you get to partake in the supernatural hand of God to change you and someone in your life. One dose of it and you'll never be the same!

All Things New

You spoke and made the sunrise, to light up the very first day
You breathed across the water, and started the very first wave
It was You
You introduced Your glory, to every living creature on earth
And they started singing, the first song to ever be heard
They sang for You

You make all things new
You make all things new

Then the world was broken, fallen and battered and scarred
You took the hopeless, the life, wasted, ruined and marred
And made it new

You make all things new
You make all things new
You redeem and You transform
You renew and You restore
You make all things new
You make all things new
And forever we will watch and worship You

You turn winter into spring
You take every living thing
And You breathe Your breath of life into it over and over again

You made the sunrise, day after day after day
But there's a morning coming, when old things will all pass away
And everyone will see

You make all things new
You make all things new
Come redeem and come transform
Come renew and come restore
You make all things new
You make all things new
And forever we will watch and worship You

Now and forever You are making all things new
You're making all things new

Hallelujah...