New Beginnings

Dear sister,

After a not so patient four year wait, my husband Barrett, my four- year old daughter Annabelle, and I finally landed in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.  We had no time to refresh before heading to the transition home where our family’s dynamics would change forever.  We stunk, my hair was huge from tossing and turning on the flight, yet we all had bellies full of joy, anxiety, and anticipation.

Meanwhile, a set of eighteen month old twins, brother and sister, had no idea what was about to happen. It was like any other day for them in that smelly home.  They woke up to a room full of babies who cried and yelled just like them.  Their cloth diapers were changed, they were given a formula bottle, and were kept in a crib.  Then, something new happened.  They were given a pamper diaper, dressed, and carried outside…weird. They see a strange white person who reached out to them with tears.  She hugged them close, but they just looked around wanting to explore the dirt and be free from the tiny room they were just in.  Everything that was familiar and loved by them was just about to change forever.

They were chosen before they were born to be a part of our family.  We had to wait for the fullness of time for our family to be complete. All that they knew: abandonment, no mom and dad, no siblings, no freedom, no home, no inheritance, no given family name, was now gone.  Their new beginning had begun.  They were given a name, a home, a mom and dad, a sister, aunts, uncles, grandparents, cousins, and an inheritance that could never be taken from them.  They were loved before they were in our family. They didn’t need to be cleaned up or have good behavior before we chose them.  We simply chose them to love forever, no matter what.

Our Savior loves new beginnings.  He gave new beginnings through Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Ruth, David, disciples, Saul, and all those who have trusted in Christ since then.  These new beginnings were not due to the actions of these people (because some of their actions were pretty rotten), but rather because of the choosing of our Creator to love us.  These people (and us) did not have to clean up their lives to be chosen and loved just like Ronnie and Lydia could not be cleaned up before we chose them.  Like Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 5:17;

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.  The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”  Now Ronnie and Lydia are in the Craigs, their old Ethiopian reality is gone, their new beginning of American life has begun.  But more than that, when they trust in Christ as their Savior, their new beginning and adoption will be complete.  Our Creator loves this new beginning!  So much so that He died for these new beginnings.

What about you friend? Have you had this new beginning? Have you trusted in Christ to have your old ways tossed aside and your new life given?  There is no need to get cleaned up before this new beginning, your new life is given to you in full once you trust Christ.  He did it all for you when he nailed your sins to the cross. He rose again on the third day showing he conquered the penalty of your sin.  Now you are clean and righteous before God.  Your new beginning will be complete.

And what about you believing sister?  Are you encouraged each day by the new life He has given you? Allow Paul to remind you of what your new beginning has given you:

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight.”(Ephesians 1:3-9, emphasis by me).

Your new beginning was given to you when you were dirty and dead in your sins.  Then you were adopted and grafted into this forever family. You have all the rights of the firstborn son who died for you!  Praise and worship him for this today!  Live a life of joy and thankfulness knowing you were given this new beginning out of a loving Father who calls you his own.  Just like Ronnie and Lydia, we have a new name, new Father, new siblings, new family, new inheritance, and new home to the praise of his glorious grace.

Your sister in Christ

(and newness of Life)

Colleen