Repurposed

Repurposed

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.                 2 Corinthians 5:17  

I've had a growing appreciation for antique malls and stores over the past few years - my thanks to friends and family who introduced me to this enthusiasm. I find that my enduring interest has grown affectionately nostalgic especially from discoveries of familiar items from my childhood. Most of the time I enjoy just walking and browsing and finding treasures here and there but my fascination has really grown as I observe items that seem to be useless, old, worn out, rough looking or rusty - things I see and sometimes think are a waste of selling space and yet people will purchase these items with a purpose in mind. I confess I have bought a few things a time or two and made good use of them myself.

I am wondrously amazed at the masterpieces that are created from items that seem worthless and ugly, but in the eyes of an artist contain potential! I've seen picture frames made with old window panes and walls paneled with old barn wood siding. How many times have rough old pieces of furniture been sanded, refinished or maybe taken apart only to be reconstructed to be made into something totally different? For example, on "Pinterest" are pictures of baby cribs turned into beautiful bench seats, quilt holders, chalkboards and baby gates etc.

The term we use today for this masterful creativity is called "repurposing" defined by Merriam-Webster " as to change (something) so that it can be used for a different purpose." This word makes me think of our Heavenly Creator who loves us so much that He took everyone of us and "repurposed" and is still "repurposing" us for His use. Some of us have felt set aside, worn out and useless from past mistakes until Jesus came along and saw our intrinsic value and a specific direction for our lives. How many times did we almost give up hope feeling worthless and ugly because of seemingly unforgivable sins we committed or because of offenses and deep hurt that came from people we trusted? It seemed we were going to be shelved permanently....lost....no one to care....then Jesus, The Master Creator, came passing by and His loving eyes fell on each one of us who were broken thinking all hope was lost! He gently picked us up, paid the bill, took us home, washed us off with waters of baptism and added a coat of Holy Ghost "paint". He knew He could use this vessel and filled it with His purpose for His Kingdom. It doesn't matter how many people pass us by; what matters is that our Heavenly Father eyed us and saw our need, our pain and our potential and made us His very own. It was love at first sight for Him. No matter what the culture, family, friends or acquaintances think or say, God's purpose in our lives is foremost and we must stay focused on that purpose....everything else is a distraction!!

In Luke 19:1-10 while passing through Jericho, Jesus eyed a much hated rich man named Zacchaeus hiding in a sycamore tree. In verse 5 Jesus invites Himself to the tax collector's home for lunch and in verses 9 and 10 after Zacchaeus confesses his wrongdoing and commits to making things right, Jesus says to him, "... This day is salvation come to this house.... For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost." Jesus rocked Zacchaeus' world! A man who was scorned and dismissed was sought by The Master who forgave him, loved him and set him on the right path. If you have felt or are feeling broken, useless or passed by, please rest assured that The Savior sees, hears and knows exactly where you are at this season in your life. You are not ever lost to Him. He longs to have a relationship with you. A familiar passage in Romans 8:35-39 says that nothing can "...separate us from the love of God,...". There is no love like the love of Jesus Christ. He doesn't fail or make mistakes and He is always looking to "repurpose" priceless possessions for His kingdom. He values you more than you could ever know!

 

-Written By Becky Spann 

Real Love

Real Love

He loves us. At our best. The days we wake up and read our bibles, spend time in prayer, witness to someone, take notes during bible study, give someone an encouraging word, sing Hallelujah in the car. But what about the days when that doesn't happen? The days when you have 10 minutes to get ready for work and manage to yell at everyone in your house before you rush out the door? Someone at the office irritates you and you think about how funny it would be if they tripped going back to their office? The day when you glare with your hand in the air at the person who cut you off on the road? When you snap at your husband or kids because they forgot to do something you asked? And you manage to check your email 5 times on your phone during bible study instead of highlighting that verse in your bible? Hmmm?? Yep. Guess what? He loves you those days JUST as much.
 
We need to remember how much grace we are given, when someone else fails us. We fail him daily. We die daily and are given a new fresh start with every breath we take. That kind of love is what I need. That kind of love is not about who did the dishes, who cut us off on the freeway, who remembered our birthday or who greeted us with a smile at church. That kind of love is stained red on a cross, salted in tears wept for my shortcomings, for my mistakes, for my mean spirit and compassion-less attitude, broken with a rusty nail through bone on a hill so many years ago.

We need to strive for understanding of what people carry on their shoulders of things we know nothing about, and show grace, encouragement , compassion, and friendship. That is what real love is. That is what he asks, as the lover of our soul, and we should strive daily to give, show, and be the Love that is Christ in us.


                                 - Written By Robin Nash

Trust

Trust

Trust ... a small, 5-letter word with a much bigger meaning. It can be something we too easily give away, or perhaps something we hold back for fear of being hurt. We may even shy away from the word because of events in our past. But, do we ever stop to think about what it really means? We've all heard of the "trust test" where a person is asked to fall backwards blindly and hope that the individual behind them catches them before they hit the floor. But is that all there is to it? Just believing or hoping for the best? One definition of trust says that it is a "firm belief in the reliability, truth, ability, or strength of". To understand trust, we must first have a firm belief in something. That is to say, "no clever argument, no persuasive fact or theory could make a dent in conviction". Then, we must apply that belief to four key areas. First, reliability. To be reliable is to be trustworthy and proven. I Kings 8:56 says, "Blessed be the Lord, that hath given rest unto his people Israel, according to all that he promised: there hath not failed one word of all his good promise, which he promised by the hand of Moses his servant." Not ONE word of His promises fail. Next, conviction must be rooted in truth. Psalm 119:160 says, "Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever". God's Word is truth and can never fail. Next, trust is a firm belief in ability. Jeremiah 10:12 says, "He hath made the earth by his power, he hath established the world by his wisdom, and hath stretched out the heavens by his discretion". God has the possession, means, and ability over all. Finally, to trust, we must have a belief in strength. Jeremiah 32:17 says, "Ah Lord God! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee". There is absolutely nothing that is outside of the strength and power of God. 

Trust is the firm belief in the reliability, truth, ability, and strength of God when the doctors say there isn't a cure. It is the firm belief in the reliability, truth, ability, and strength of God when there isn't enough money to cover the bills. It is the firm belief in the reliability, truth, ability, and strength of God when the answer is "no" or "wait". It is the firm belief in the reliability, truth, ability, and strength of God when people fail or hurt us. Trust is the firm belief in the reliability, truth, ability, and strength of God when the world around us is crumbling into pieces. 

So, when the trials come, I choose to look at trust a little differently next time. God, I trust You ... I have a firm belief in which my convictions cannot be persuaded against Your reliability, truth, ability, and strength.

-Written By Laura Barnette