A Fresh Start

Ah... Monday morning. The start of a new week, the start of a new day. It's always kind of exciting. I love how God gives us fresh starts. He knew we would need them! I know I need them! Some weeks just don't go well, and by the end of the week, I'm just feeling desperate for a new start - let's just skip a few days and get to a new week. Maybe that one will go better than this one did. Or sometimes we just want our day to end... hurry up and end, let me go to sleep, and pray that tomorrow will be different than today.

God gives us new starts, but I believe if we short-circuit what's in our uncomfortable "present", we will miss what He's doing right now. I want to move forward, skip past the things that make me uncomfortable or frustrated or angry or whatever emotion I might feel, and jump to tomorrow. But what is God teaching me right now, in this moment, where everything feels wrong? I know He's wanting to use that moment to shape me more into His image, but I have to submit to Him in that moment. If I shut God out, and just try to survive until tomorrow, I'm going to miss it! I have missed it on so many of the moments in the past. I don't want to miss it this week.

So, in this week's fresh start, I choose to ask God what He wants out my Monday, and every other day of the week. I always have that little list in the back of my head of what I want, but the greater thing for me to focus on is what God has for me this week. What moments does He want to use to mold me and stretch me and conform me into the image of Christ? There will undoubtedly be moments that I don't like, that make me want tomorrow to come a little faster. How will I respond? In my flesh? In my selfishness?

As a new week starts... as this new Monday starts, I eagerly look forward to seeing God at work. I don't want to miss what He's doing! Will it be hard? Yes! Will He put things in my path this week that I don't like? Yes! Is it worth it to look a little more like Jesus when this week is over? Most definitely yes! I pray for a heart of faithfulness to trust Him in those times, and make the hard choices in choosing Him over me.

2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.

Father, bring on some new things this week! I can't wait to see what you have for me in my fresh start.

Happy Monday!