New Beginnings

Today I want to share some pictures that I (Amy) captured out our kitchen window a while ago. Julie posted a while back about the beauty of our Savior's promise to wash us white as snow. I absolutely LOVE that verse and its imagery. Lately, I've been thinking a lot about redemption. One online dictionary defines redemption as "the act of saving something or somebody from a declined, dilapidated, or corrupted state and restoring it, him, or her to a better condition." That's exactly what the Lord has done in my life!

When my heart was filled with darkness and hopelessness, I surrendered it to Jesus Christ. I gave up my rights to live for myself and purposed to live for His glory for the rest of my days. In that moment, the Light of the World shone into my heart, exchanging depression and despair for joy and hope!

Redemption, at least in this life, restores things to a better condition. Not a perfect one. Striving to live each day to the glory of God has made my life incomparably better than living for myself. But it hasn't made it perfect. Bad things still happen to me. People still hurt me. I still get sick. It hasn't made me perfect either. Sometimes I struggle with selfishness and pride. Sometimes I hurt the people I love. Sometimes I neglect the tasks the Lord has set before me.

I still sin--WAY more than I'd like to admit.

But no matter how hard the days are, or how many times I mess up, I have a constant assurance of love and forgiveness in Jesus Christ. When I confess my sins to Him and cast my burdens into His care, His light shines through to bring me hope and a new beginning.

When I think about the awesome redemption He has performed in my life, I am filled anew with joy. For one day, by the grace of God, I will rest with all the saints in the city where "God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away." (Revelation 21:3b & 4, NKJV) Thank You, Jesus!

If you have never entrusted your life to Christ, I urge you to do it today! Don't wait another minute to receive the forgiveness, hope, and redemption promised to us in the person of Jesus Christ.

"For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sin."

(Colossians 1:13-14, NIV)