January 9

Making All Things New

                  Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea.  I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.  And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look!  God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them.  They will be his people and God himself will be with them and be their God.  He will wipe every tear from their eyes.  There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!”    

Revelations 21:1-5

This is our hope.  This is what we look forward to.  This is why we can face the hardships of this life without blinking and still endure.  Because this life…this reality…this is not the whole story.  This is not even a tiny fraction of the whole story.  It is just the beginning and it is but a pale shadow of what lies ahead for us.  There will come a day when this all ends and the next season begins.  In that next season God will live with His children and His children will be whole.  There will be no more broken bodies, no more fractured minds.  There will be no fear of loss, no pain or suffering.  Instead we will run free, whole as we were intended to be.  The blind will see; the mute will sing; the lame will dance and we all will laugh with joy as we see those whom we have cared for…those whose lives have been such mighty struggles in this season…finally they will be complete as they welcome us into God’s new kingdom with open arms.

Imagine with me.  Imagine a world where you and your child are made new.  There are no medications or therapies.  No fatigue and worry.  No need for wheelchairs or respirators or back braces.  No apologizing to strangers, no nights sitting up by the bed while your beloved cries themselves to sleep.  Instead the very best version of you will run and laugh and sing with the whole, complete, very best version of your child.  That is a sweet picture that I do not want to release.

When the struggles of this life are overwhelming, remember the promise.  When the needs and the burdens are too much to bear, remember the hope.  This is not how your story is destined to end.  This is only the beginning.  For “I am making everything new!” 

A moment to reflect:

Imagine your child made new and whole.  What is the first thing they would do?  That day is coming.

Refrigerator Art of the Day:

D age 15