“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland. Isaiah 43:18-20
Such a great scripture to start the new year! So encouraging but quite difficult to do.
I was driving to the office and saw that scripture on a church sign and wondered, “How do I accept God’s new thing when my life is so full of the old things I have collected?”
Have you ever caught a tee shirt at a professional baseball game? We go once or twice a year but I have never been in the right place to catch one of the shirts they throw out. Except this one time…
My brother and I had this great idea that we would send our wives out for the night and we would take the kids and a couple of their friends to the baseball game. We loaded the minivan with toys, tablets and diaper bags and headed to the game. We were running late, and arrived in the middle of the second inning. We entered the park and added a layer of chicken tenders, peanuts, drinks and cotton candy to our already overloaded tribe. As we finally made it out of the concourse and into the stadium the whole place erupted in response to the announcer shouting, “Who wants a tee shirt!?!”
With everyone on their feet the place went crazy and also blocked any chance of us getting to our seats in the upper tier. As we were standing there circled up trying figure out where to go, with every hand, finger and shoulder loaded to bear, a launched tee shirt falls right in the middle of us. My brother and I could only laugh. We had no way to pick it up without sacrificing a nugget or pack of wet wipes. What were the chances….?
I think the older we get the harder it is to put down our old ways, habits and stuff to accept the new things God has to offer. New relationships, perspectives, behaviors, forgiveness, direction for our lives. You would think it would be easy. But it’s not.
We may have survived this long doing things the way we’ve always done them, but with God, the things we have built are wastelands compared to what God can provide for us.
So, what could you put down in order to free up some space to pick up something God has for you?
We are in this together!
In His service and at yours!
~Shawn
Red Letter Moments 
Personally speaking, as I grow older, I find it easier to put away some old stuff, to make room for new adventures and thoughts God puts on my path. How neat its to have older expeiences to help you understand new things. Older life can increase your inerests,as hopefully you have more time to enjoy the new prospects that come your way. Hugs
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Great job❤️❤️
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Once Jeff & I were at a basketball game where they were throwing tee shirts. We had great seats in the section where the coaches’ families were seated. One of the cheerleaders threw a shirt toward the little guy, about four, sitting behind us. I grabbed the shirt and Jeff scolded me. He said she was throwing it to the tyke, a coach’s son. I said I paid for my ticket and he gets in free. I’m keeping it. Besides, it was an adult XL and he was little. So, I guess I laid down my love for children to snare a tee shirt. Still have it too!!
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