New Vision

“New doesn’t always look perfect. Like the Easter story itself, new is often messy… New looks like reconciliation between family members who don’t actually deserve it. New looks like every time I manage to admit I was wrong and every time I manage to not mention when I’m right. New looks like every fresh start and every act of forgiveness and every moment of letting go of what we thought we couldn’t live without and then somehow living without it anyway. New is the thing we never see coming – never even hoped for – but ends up being what we needed all along.” – Nadia Bolz-Weber

I’ve never been one for New Year’s resolutions. I don’t think my parents were much into the tradition, so it just didn’t occur to me until I was in my teens and twenties. After several utter failures, I gave up. But, I do like to use the New Year as a fresh start, a new beginning.

This year, it looks like this: “Dear God, please give me new eyes to see things from your perspective. Resurrect my broken places. Make me new.”

While I was on “vacation” last week, I spent a lot of time processing life with other women. We each spoke of our struggles and told stories of where God is at work in our lives. I came away from the time changed, new, starting fresh.

I realized my prayer was already working!

Sometimes all we need is a good friend (or a mother or sister) to help us change our point of view slightly. A tiny turn in our vision can create new growth. Or it can help us die to ourselves and our own desires and return to the place where Christ is present and working: resurrecting and bringing new life.

I came away from one of my vacation conversations with a new concept. (I love this idea!) Our newness doesn’t need to look perfect and shiny and just-out-of-the-box.

Did you catch that? New is sometimes messy. But it’s still new, still growth, still beautiful, still God’s work.

This helps me pinpoint places in my heart where Christ has worked and is working that I previously overlooked because they didn’t look the way I presumed they should.

When Jesus rose from the dead, he appeared to the disciples and showed them the holes in his hands and side. He was himself, through and through – holes and all, but new. When he raised Lazarus from the tomb (after 4 days!), Lazarus didn’t suddenly appear before everyone as a newborn baby, he was still a grown (old?) man. But, alive and well.

When I hear the words: 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; NIV), I tend to think of worm to chrysalis to butterfly. In my head, worms are ugly and butterflies are perfectly, brilliantly beautiful. But, God is revealing to me that sometimes fresh, new beauty is present inside the messy. Sometimes we’re faced with ugly-beautiful. We just need God’s perspective to see it. And when we see it, the change is more beautiful than perfect, shiny and just-out-of-the-box could ever be.

I am thankful for all the lovely, talkative, God-fearing women I have in my life. You make me new. Have a wonderful 2014, friends! I pray we may all be blessed with fresh insight, new vision and bright green, sturdy growth.

- Bethany Tippin, MOPS Mom & Publicity Leader

Bethany Tippin is a wife and mother of 2 children, ages 3 and 5. She is a musician, teacher and writer. She joined MOPS very soon after moving to Sheridan and regularly finds blessing in her participation. This, her 6^th year, is her 1^st year in a leadership role. Serving as the 2013-2014 Publicity steering member is a joy and a challenge. She is massively excited about all the ways Christ is evidently moving in her life and community!