The Old Becomes New...

Sometimes we long for things to stay the same, but that is not God's way.  God wants us to grow and prepare for our Eternal Home.  We must change to grow.  To do this, we must often give up the old for the new. 

Several years ago I repainted my master bathroom.  I carefully chose the colors for the wall and the moldings, then chose a decorative wallpaper border to use to divide the wall at the height of the top of the shower.  It turned out wonderful and I loved it.  Every time I would look at the walls and the colors, I smiled because it was something I had done myself and something I really liked.  Now, years later, I still like the colors, but more and more often I see colors when I'm in the stores and walking through the paint department that I like just as much.  Colors that keep catching my eye and say "pick me, pick me," but to choose the new colors and repaint means letting go of the old colors.   

We all are faced with changes in our lives - having to let go of something to be able to accept the new.   Some we choose and some are chosen for us by others or circumstances.  Some are easy and some are quite difficult.  Some changes are quick and happen in the blink of an eye and some take days, months and even years to complete.   How we handle these changes is what makes us who we are.  Each time we are faced with accepting or adopting a new way of doing something, a new place to live, a new job or simply a new color in our home we are growing in our journey in this life. 

I love to talk with people who have lived through times that were different than what I lived through.  To hear them speak of the changes they came through and how they came through those changes in their life says a great deal about who they are as a person.  I think it also gives great insight to their soul.  People who have truly grown as they came through changes in their lives will have a beautiful soul that shines in their eyes and their smile.  I often hear people say of another, "they have a good heart."  I believe having a "good heart" is the same as having a good soul.  These people have grown in God's ways as they came through changes and learned to let go of the old - gracefully.   

"That is not how you learned Christ, ... 

That you should put away the old self of your former way of life, 

corrupted by deceitful desires, and be renewed in the spirit of your minds, 

and put on the new self, created in God's way in righteousness and holiness of truth."

~Ephesians 4:20-24