So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new! – 2 Corinthians 5:17
As many of you know, my husband and I recently moved to Narberth to live in the parsonage of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, where Dan serves as the pastor. Moving is one of those times in life that highlights all of the new things that we encounter throughout our days. Right now, I am learning new routes to Reformation, new restaurants, new streets, new neighbors, and what it means to be a part of a whole new community.
While this move and this time in our life together has been full of excitement at these new explorations, there has also been a fair amount of longing for the old and what we left behind. We have found this to be particularly true while grocery shopping. Our favorite items are no longer in their familiar places or are not even stocked in our local store. This probably seems like a ridiculous reason to be frustrated with the newness we are daily encountering, but I’m sure there are moments in life when this becomes fully true for all of us. We can feel the joy and excitement of the new experiences in our life while simultaneously mourning what has been left behind.
The start of a new year can often make us feel the same way. A new year brings with it a new starting point. And yet we can also mourn what has been left behind in the year that is now gone – the people we lost, the ones who have left home, the schools we’ve completed, the job we left, the home that is no longer ours. Yet, through it all, God comes to us as our constant reminder that God is the one making all things new and bringing us to this promise of new and everlasting life. That each day is a gift of grace and one where God will be with us through each new moment – even if I still can’t find what aisle the cereal is in!
Wishing you peace and joy in the adventure of each new day lived in God’s incredible love this year and always!
Pastor Alina Gayeuski