Brand New

2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. (NKJV)

Sitting in church one Sunday. I was seated behind a family. As I was waiting, I was blessed to observe them. The family consisted of 4 generations. An about 4 year old little boy, his mother, his grandmother and his great-grandmother. The ladies were at different stages in their lives and had no doubt seen their share of “experiences”. The little boy was “new”; any experiences or trials that had come his way had been intercepted and handled by his parents. His parents sheltered him, therefore he remained “new.”

As children often are, the little boy was the center of focus for all the adults. He commanded their attention. Great-grandmother just stared at him, seemingly in awe. Her characteristics and her expressions told the story that she had seen and endured a little more than them all. Her demeanor was somewhat fatigued. She looked at the little boy seemingly remembering a time of more energy. Grandma allowed him to keep her busy, with that “grandma” look on her face. ..the look that says “this is the smartest and most beautiful child on the face of the earth.” Mama reeled him in when grandma allowed him to get too out of hand.

Eventually the service started and the little boy was too restless to sit still. Grandma reached in her purse and pulled out a tiny Bible and said to him, “here this is yours, you take care of it.” It was meant to occupy and quiet him. Instead of quieting down, he began jumping up and down saying, “this is my Bible, all mine!” He repeated this phrase with excitement. “this is my Bible, all mine!” He turned to my husband and I and showed it to us; “this is my Bible, all mine!” The grin on his face was irreplaceable. The excitement in his spirit could not be concealed. He was brand new.He was excited about this special gift. He wanted to tell others about this special gift. It was his. He was brand new.

I remind myself what it was like to be brand new. ..to have something so precious, so exciting I could not keep it to myself. I wanted to be brand new again. Experiences come our way and we allow them to beat us to a tired, fatigued demeanor. We sometimes forget that contained in the Word, that precious gift, is the story of how HIS blood washes us clean and makes us “brand new”. He is available to intercept our issues and handle them. He will shelter us from storms that wipe away our energy. If we allow him to….we too can be “brand new.”I picked up my Bible, renewed my commitment to read it with excitement, as if for the first time. I realized, it was my Bible, and it’s promises were “all mine”. When I treat the Word as if I am a “brand new” creation as it says I am….I can’t conceal my excitement, I have to tell as many as possible that they too can be “brand new.”