New Beginnings

It is not easy to start all over again from scratch. Whether you just dropped your egg on the floor and need to make an omelette or you  just got egg on your face and need to rethink some things. But, being a Christian calls us to face this very type of challenge all the time. It begins when someone decides to accept the fact that they are a sinner in need of redemption and allow Jesus’ atoning redemption to touch their life. Everything changes at that point and it could entail changing jobs, friends or giving up a lifestyle that you had. A true conversion brings New Beginnings.

The Bible recounts how God called Abram to leave everything that he knew for a new beginning. Moses had to do the same. We see people such as Ruth leaving her people and attaching and committing to the vision that God had given his chosen people. What of the tax collectors and fishermen who lived one way one minute and then became believers? They gave up all that they were accustomed to in order to follow Jesus. 

I have never been good with change. Always preferring the familiar over that which is new. It is a personality trait that makes one reticent to change, even if change would be for the better. The person with this type of personality tends to struggle a bit more with the idea of change. I know that it takes me longer to adjust to changing circumstances in my life, such as moving from Westchester County, New York to my new location about 300 miles away. 

 Following Jesus has improved my ability to be more at ease with change by allowing me to see God’s purpose in it. I talk such a good talk about following Jesus but, when push came to shove in my two real estate deals I was coming apart at the seams. I realized, at a certain point in my Christian journey, that no matter how good I try to be, or how hard that I try to work, that I will never be able to do it alone, without God. 

I fail to make the mark and when I do, I am humbled. Buying and selling houses made me reach my very maximum stress levels. Being separated from my husband at first felt like team work because, I knew that he was handling details in our old home whilst I did the same in our new home. But, when the level of regulatory madness resulted in my husband and I being separated for two and a half months, I was literally getting sick over it. 

At times like this knowing that our God has conquered this crazy world makes complete sense. The promises of God were my constant companion and I thought about them day and night. Like the one about God not giving you more than you can handle or, that God would never leave us or forsake us. How about that one? Towards the end of the financial transactions and all the massive paperwork (still not done), I thought that the stress would kill me. It didn’t because I am writing this today. But, even knowing that when our battles are done in this life are done, that we will be with the Lord helped me to feel at peace more often than not. 

As my New Beginnings start to unfold, there are so many answered prayers already happening. Like for instance, having good neighbors. There happens to be self-identified Christians living to my left and to my right. I was showered with kind greetings and all manner of welcome gifts. One neighbor has a green thumb and brought me a vase of the most beautiful dahlia that I have ever seen. Another neighbor brought by some locally made vodka ice tea. It is forty proof. I have not opened that bottle yet but it is a kind gesture.

I drink moderately and never create a scenario at my home for drunkenness. So, I could probably add some more of my cold brew tea to it to create something a little less potent. A man at my church gave me a homemade cutting board. I have been using that constantly. The most touching thing was that my new church prayed every week beseeching God on my families behalf as we went through our real estate transactions. 

There are so many new things to learn, so much paperwork to do but, I see that our New Beginnings have begun. Thank you God for your many promises and thank you that yet again, I can have a New Beginning. 

Ida hits Westchester County

The storm that was a catastrophic hurricane in New Orleans has reeked havoc in Westchester County, New York. The County got between seven to ten inches of rain. The result was extensive basement flooding, road and highway flooding, along with some power outages. There will be huge financial ramifications after all the damage that was done. This amount of rain is a once in a lifetime event that many including me have never experienced before. The speed and ferocity of this storm was terrifying. My husband called me in the midst of this terrible storm. He showed me the huge storm waters going through our property and our town. To this day, I can’t get those images out of my mind.

 “I would hasten my escape from the windy storm and tempest.” - Psalm 55:8

I have not seen my husband struggling so much for a long time. It is hard for me to see him in any kind of struggle because he has always been so strong for me. He bares so much without complaint but, now with our approaching home sale and events such as Hurricane Ida heading towards our house, his patience and strength were severely taxed. There is so much going on in our world, and in our life that on any given day we are like acrobats juggling many balls in the air. I wanted to help him and with so much going on I felt my roll as my husbands “helpmate” was front and center. 

“ A refuge from the storm”- in Isaiah 25:4 ( God is described as a refuge from the storm.)

With that in mind, contemplation and discussions of our faith began with the approaching storm. My husband stayed up the entire night to ensure that our house was bolstered against the deluge of water all around. He listened to ten hours of sermons and theological discourses to keep his spiritual focus strong. If I seem strangely absent, it is because I was. Dear readers, our search for a new home has ended. We have found a new place to call home. Although, in these days of struggles and hardships, I am reminded that this earth is not my home. 

“And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waters beat into the ship, so that it was now full.”- Mark 4:37

I was not physically present in New York when tropical rain storm Ida hit that vicinity. I was beginning the process of cleaning and unpacking in our new home. Meanwhile, my husband handled the details of our house sale in New York.

Looking at numerous real estate listenings clarified where we were in our lives and what we each wanted. His and her visions coalesced after much soul-searching and in the end we chose a marvelous old house in a community that reflects our faith and political points of views much more than Westchester does. The terrible Chinese virus and all it’s variants have helped many including me to realize that it is time to do all that I can to make Jesus known to all those struggling. Knowing the fragility of life as I now do has made me want to seek more comfort among others who believe as I do that Jesus is the Lord. 

“Thou shalt be visited of the Lord of hosts with thunder, and with earthquake, and great noise, with storm and tempest, and the flame of devouring fire.”- Isaiah 29:6

In the end, we had a blessing in that the storm did not overrun our basement or damage our home in any way. It is a huge blessing because driving around our community after the storm showcased the immense damage reflected in the waterlogged rugs and furniture out on the street. Toys, and other items revealing the life and story of each home and their ruination. 

“He maketh the storm a-calm, so that the waves thereof are still.”- Psalm 107:29