All Things New

Thus says the Lord, who makes a way in the sea, a path in the mighty waters, who brings forth chariot and horse, army and warrior; they lie down, they cannot rise, they are extinguished, quenched like a wick: “Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. (Isaiah 43:16-19 ESV). One of the things I like about watching some of the DIY shows is to see how they repurpose and reuse previously discarded materials. One of those is “Flea Market Flip.” Who knew you could take old, wooden Coca-Cola bottle boxes, screw them together, put legs under them, and put glass on top to create a coffee table? I love how they find new uses for previously thrown out items or give new life to things that are worn out and are thought to be worthless. Their creativity is inspiring.

There is a sad part to the process though. I found this picture of old suitcases that had been joined together to make a bench for a waiting area. It is an ingenious thought, but I wondered about the suitcases. Where had they been; what had they seen; or what adventures had they experienced? Perhaps they had traveled the world, seeing some of the exotic, mysteries of the world; or, perhaps they had been a part of someone’s start in life, moving them from home to college. And now they are merely consigned to a waiting area where travelers with newer models do the traveling. When think of these things, I am drawn to our reading today. The prophet is declaring that God is never through with us, no matter how “used” we might be. God takes our lives that are broken, used up, outdated, and seemingly useless, and repurposes us. He gives us new life and makes us more beautiful than before. He sometimes finds us in life’s scrap pile and thinks, “I can find new life and uses for this.” When everyone else sees someone worth discarding, God sees potential. This always gives me hope. Our repurposed life might appear very different than our past. It might even appear to be less meaningful, but in God’s design it is providing us with just the right tools for the moment. We will never be useless. God directs us in every part of our journey. Sometimes that’s a bit difficult to see. When tragedy strikes our circle and our journey takes a decidedly uphill path, it is incredibly hard to imagine God giving purpose to those experiences. However, that is his unshakable promise. Even the ugliest of circumstances will be repurposed in his creative hands. Take joy in the journey. Rejoice in the changes.