Formerly Familiar

Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.
Isaiah 43:18-19 NIV

I stand amazed at what God teaches me through the eyes and hearts of my grandchildren; perhaps because my heart is the least guarded and the most full when I am with them.

Yesterday, my youngest granddaughter had gotten hurt during gym class and she was not happy. She was also upset at the thought that it might take a few days to feel her best again. We had just left the Chick-fil-A drive-through line during this part of the discussion, when she asked if we could drive by her old house since we were so close. Yes, we would drive by, but no, we were not stopping. 

When we turned on to the street, she started naming neighbors and pointing to their houses. She's smart beyond her five short years and proclaimed, "There's my old house, Granna! All of my memories are there... I miss my old house. " 

I slowed the car a little and she said, "It doesn't look the same..." which presented the perfect opportunity for a teaching moment. 

"That's because you don't live there any more, Baby. Your memories are of Mommy and Daddy, and MawMaw and PawPaw, and all that love, but they don't live there any more, either. You wouldn't want to live in the house without your Mom and Dad, right?" And she agreed.

How many times do we do something similar? We get hurt and we want to run back to what's familiar  - an old relationship, an old habit, the way we used to live - whether or not it's good for us. The "new house" might seem like a wilderness, but the good news is that God is aware of that. He promised to make a way in that wilderness. He promised to make life-giving streams in the wasteland of new. He wrote it all down so we wouldn't forget. You don't want to go back there and be without God the Father...

Revelation 21:5 tells us, He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true."  

It's our Promise for Today - Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! 

Prayer:

Father,

           Thank You for Your Word. Thank You for making a way for us in the wilderness and for providing life-giving streams in what feels like a wasteland. Thank You that all Your Words are trustworthy and true. Help us to keep moving forward and to keep our eyes on You. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen.