A NEW REFLECTION

Dirt, dust, hammers, nails…it could only mean one thing. New construction. It was finally time to take out the old sliding glass door that once took you onto the outdoor patio. With much discussion we had decided on white French doors with small window panes. When I came home from grocery shopping the doors had already arrived and Kev and Jake were placing them in the correct spot. However, the house was not perfectly square so it was requiring additional maneuvering. As I stood there looking at them I wasn’t sure they were the “ right look” ( this was Kev’s worst fear coming true!). I had been looking through the ugliest glass doors for so long that when the new, more beautiful ones took their place, I didn’t know if it was what I had really envisioned. This could be said of our lives too. Sometimes life’s reality and our expectations don’t match. We have been looking through the reflections of our old lives for so long that we are shaken, yes, fearful, to make any changes that could be positive. How can you be sure that those changes would be better than what you at least know is “safe”? You have to trust the master carpenter. In this case, Kev was the carpenter. I trusted him in this project because he had proven himself time and time again with other projects to create beauty far beyond what I had imagined and I was always pleased. So it is with Jesus. He is the Master carpenter who knows who you were created to be and has proven Himself time and time again to be faithful. He also knew that it was going to require some “maneuvering” …a cost. And thus Easter. It took his choice of death and all the pain, loss, and loneliness to be able to say “ IT IS FINISHED”. On the third day He arose and conquered sin forever. As the bible shares, “ If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come”. His death and resurrection has given us a new reflection, one that brings JOY, PEACE, HOPE…SALVATION. He has taken away the old, ugly, windows of our lives and has brought us new, clear, beautiful ones that we can smile and be glad. We just need to make a choice. It may feel like “ it’s not right” but, over time, as our old self melts away and our new self grows, we will realize that life with Jesus was the best decision ever made. Don’t be afraid to make new choices for your lives. Just make sure it starts with Jesus. After all, he is the Master carpenter….