new beginnings

Psalm 130:3-5

3 If you, O LORD, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand?
4 But with you there is forgiveness; therefore you are feared.
5 I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope.


As my kids head off to school for the first day, it brings my thoughts to new beginnings. This is the first day at new schools for both of them. New teachers, new friends, new classrooms, so many choices, so many new beginnings. It reminds me of our Lord and how everyday is a new beginning in our walk with him. All of the struggle, all of the strife from yesterday is gone, today is a new day. Each morning is a new chance to make things right.

Each year we send the kids out in to the world. They have spent the last 10 weeks pretty close to the house, typically close to a parent or family member. Yet each August we launch them in to the real world. They will have choices to make starting from day one. Who will they be friends with, what table will they sit at for lunch. How will they handle all the situations that will come up when no one is around. The tough choices, when you make the choice between doing the right thing, and doing the popular thing.
Our adult lives are very much the same, however our choices usually come a lot faster, and we tend to play them down more than our kids do. It might sound harsh, but I believe that our kids wrestle with the hard questions more than we do. So many of us just hit the auto pilot and cruise through life.

If we reflect on the passage above we realize that our lives do not have to be that way. Each day is a new start for us. Everyday we wake up our new chance begins. We can decide to make it a day for the Lord, or a day for ourselves. Just as we expect our children to make the right choices, we should hold ourselves to the same standard. We spend a lot of time and energy teaching our kids right and wrong, then hope that when we send them off to school they make the right choices. Should we not expect the same from ourselves? We should be working to put the Lord first in our lives daily. I will go as far as to say if we do that and become a living example to our children, then it will give them the courage and strength to do the same. This start of the school year can be a new beginning, not just for the kids, but for all of us.

Hopefully we all can recognize this opportunity and make a commitment to start a new beginning, maybe we re-commit to our church (or make it a point to find a church), or we start a bible reading plan with our family. Perhaps it is something as simple as starting to take time every day to pray, and honor the Lord. The point is to seize the opportunity, to recognize that the Lord loves each of us, and gives us a chance to show our love for him each day. Yesterday is gone, tomorrow is still a ways off. Today is the start.

We worship a God that does not keep a record of our sins, his son has paid the price for us, so that we might wake up everyday and continue our imperfect walk. Let us take the opportunity to find that new beginning, and put it into action.

Peace,
Rev. T