All Things New

Els:  Mama, what comes afta winta?
Me:  Spring.
Els:  Oh, but we're not on that page right now.
Me:  Right, what page are we on?
Els:  Fall.  (pause)
Els:  Mama, what comes afta night and day?
Me:  Well, babe, they just keep going around and around.  Night and day and night and day.
Els:  No, it goes night then day then summa, then fall, then winta, then Nana's house!

Yesterday I had a killer headache.  They thankfully only happen every once in a while but, oh, when they do I am down for the count.  All day long I could feel it building.  When I take the usual painkillers during the day and nothing happens, I know I'm in for trouble.  B put me to bed shortly after the kids were down for the night because there was nothing else for me to do but try and sleep it off.  I had taken the daily limit of medicine to no avail, and so I knew the Lord Himself would have to heal me.  In the merciful darkness, I prayed and then finally slept.  At one a.m., I awoke, covered in sweat but without pain.  Whenever this happens, I always feel new.  It's hard to explain but basically, when you feel like someone is driving a spike into your head, when that stops, there's no way to feel but new.

I was thinking about this the other day while dusting.  How providential of God to use a chore I despise to bring me truth.  So, there I was, dusting B's night stand when I noticed an etching.  "I love J@$&*#."  A little background for this.  Other than our beautiful, handcrafted bed, our bedroom suit is the same one that I had in high school.  The same one my parent's had when they got married.  The same one that my great-grandfather made.  So, long story short, I permanently carved "I love so-and-so high school boyfriend" in a night stand that is now my husband's.  God redeems all things.  He knows what is best for us.  Always.

And again, I was reading through my journals from college recently when I came across an entry from July 10, 2002 where I was begging God for a husband.  And I was being specific.  I had met a guy that summer at a camp where we both worked and I just knew that he was the one for me.  Except he had a girlfriend.  So, in this entry, I was pouring my heart out to the Lord, begging him with all that I was to somehow make this man fall in love with me.  I was heartsick.  (I actually remember this night now.)  Anyway, in God's divine mercy and love, on July 10, 2004, I married B and not the guy from camp.  (I'm actually not sure that I've ever seen him again.)

He makes all things new.  He redeems all things.  ALL things.  Even the heartached etchings and ramblings of a silly, silly girl.  Therefore I have hope.

"And he who was seated on the throne said, 'Behold, I am making all things new.'"
-Revelation 21:5a