new beginnings

I’m reading through Genesis and was seeing the flood in a different way. Baptism is fresh on my mind after witnessing a dear friend’s baptism Sunday. The flood was like the first baptism. The earth was violent, sinful and evil… then it was fully immersed in water. When it rose from the water, it was cleansed, made new and had a new beginning. It’s a picture of salvation. Creation belongs to Him: the Earth and us. Just like He wanted to give the Earth a new beginning, He wants that for each of us too.

“The Earth is the Lord’s.”
Psalm 24:1

“Know that the Lord, He is God. It is He who made us and we are His.”
Psalm 100:3

It must have been heart breaking for Noah to encourage people to join him, to follow and obey God and for no one to listen or take him seriously. They were like the people in Luke 14, who were occupied with ordinary things of daily life and unconcerned about eternity. Isn’t that still true of people today?

“And at the time for the banquet he sent his servant to say to those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’ But they all alike began to make excuses.”
Luke 14:17-18

Looking at my fig tree a few weeks ago, the dead branches, looking dried up, ugly, were a reminder of my failed attempt to keep my fig tree alive. Four weeks ago, I contemplated cutting the branches. There were only 4 leaves left. I was sad 5 months ago when there were only 8 leaves left, I didn’t expect it to get worse!

The image of the fig tree came to mind as I was reading John 15. “Whoever abides in me and I in Him, he it is that bears much fruit, apart from me you can do nothing.” A good reminder that when I try to do things in my own strength, I get exhausted, empty and occasionally bitter. The fruit I want to bear- love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness and self-control- only come, in an abundant way, when I’m spending time with my Creator.

It’s not my job to cut off and throw away branches, John 15 reminds us that God is the vinedresser, the One that takes away the branches, the One who prunes. I am glad that I didn’t get the shears out because what I thought was dead, useless, lacking life or hope- God breathed life on. Where one leaf was barely hanging on now are 15 leaves, bright, green, strong and new. Just like the Earth in Genesis or my sinful state before coming to Christ. Ready for a breath of life from the Lord.

In Ezekiel 37 God brings dead bones back to life. The bones come together, flesh forms over them and God breathes life into them, making them stand up as a living army. If God can bring dead bones back to life, what can’t He bring life back into?  Who are we to decide if something is dead? A hope, dream, a marriage, a business, a ministry, a relationship, health… anything appearing dead, dried up or broken. If it’s God’s will- can be restored.

Sometimes God allows things to die so He can resurrect them into something new, more vibrant and purposeful than they were before. It makes me think of my private practice. I closed it when I thought I was going to live in Africa to do mission work. God allowed my practice to die. Months later, He breathed new life into it and led me to reopen it as a faith-based practice. My approach, my focus, my person, were all different and He was the one who did it. He brought it back to life.

It is frightening when something is dying and we don’t know what happens next. If we will spring up with new life right away or be in hibernation, cocooning for a period of time. Either way- new life emerges and it’s always better than what it was.

After my divorce I thought I would forever be single and had come to terms with it. My cocooning lasted 5 years. That sounds awful, but it was a beautiful time of renewal. I was reborn as a child of God, I was reared by my Father, He fed me spiritual milk until I could eat solid food.  I fell in love with the Groom who needed to be first in my life. He knew what He was doing and He wasn’t in a rush to do it. He is gentle and loving in His knitting together.