February 1, 2024

A New Beginning

Today begins a new season in our lives. About a year or so ago, I began to feel restless, thinking that God might have something else for me. I desired to finish well and not coast into retirement. From a very practical standpoint, this meant quitting my job and starting from scratch. We began to read our Bible and pray as we wanted to hear clearly what this might mean.

God kept bringing me back again and again to Matthew, chapter 9, verses 14-17: "Then the disciples of John came to him, saying, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?” And Jesus said to them, “Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast. No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch tears away from the garment, and a worse tear is made.  Neither is new wine put into old wineskins. If it is, the skins burst and the wine is spilled and the skins are destroyed. But new wine is put into fresh wineskins, and so both are preserved.”

Now I know from my studies that these verses primarily refer to the Old Covenant versus the New Covenant (conforming to the Law and looking forward to the Savior to come to achieve eternal life vs. Placing trust in Jesus Christ alone as the payment for your sin, turning from the old ways and surrendering your life fully to Him). But there was something else going on. It was to be a new season. A dear friend called me in the midst and said, "As I pray for you, I feel like God is clearing your plate and preparing a new season."

We spoke to our pastor who solidly affirmed what we were reading and hearing in our prayers. With some additional wisdom from godly and trusted friends, we took the steps to alter our lives once more as God directed. It's SO scary! Yet, time and time again, Jesus has been faithful. And we go to bed at night resting in the fact we are being obedient to Him. Needless to say, the job search has begun. If you are a follower of Jesus, please pray for us.

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