Search For Newness

While glancing at the newspaper, I saw movie reviews. Curious about what was playing – not to go – for movies have lost their appeal for me. I saw not one interested me. Suddenly the words of marketing become hollow. Novelty becomes less creative and more ‘same old, same old’. I wondered… How can I recapture the excitement when I lived in wonder?

Newness is a prized quality in this world. When I remember all the ‘new’ things I have experienced – a new car, a new house, a new dress, a new gift, reading a new book, listening to a new song… All these things lose their newness in time. And I wonder what ‘newness’ does not lose its allure or fascination.

Will we become jaded and echo Solomon’s words? What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun. Ecclesiastes 1:9

My little brother, Gene, will be eighty years old this June. When he was about three years old, he ran away from home. Mother talked about getting him new shoes for Easter, and as the day continued without this shopping trip, he decided to get them himself. After searching the neighborhood, Mother could not find him. That afternoon some neighbors drove up in their vintage Ford of the day, 1935, and brought Gene home. The neighbors found him on the highway south of Clinton. He steadfastly declared he left in search of ‘new’ Easter shoes. As my other brother, Jim, and I questioned him, he told us that he walked a long way and that a car ran over his thumb. We gazed at our brother in wonder and asked to see his thumb. He explained that he laid his thumb on the edge of the pavement and a car drove over it. His quest for the NEWNESS – Easter shoes provided his first adventure.

What things do not lose their newness for us? When each of our four children were born, their newness took on many different forms. Each one had an innocence and sweetness along with total trust in us, as parents – and this newness created such a deep life-long love that is ever new. New phases are a forever-flowing river of newness.

As our children began learning their ‘firsts’, we exclaimed about the newness of each step, each word, each moment with our children. When our children were grown, we welcomed each new grandchild. Even after twelve grandchildren, the newness did not wear off. And then the great grandchildren, seven of them – and each one brings the joy of new life. Newness. A cycle of newness that never grows old.

Spring becomes a time of wonder and joy. It is a season of newness. Each new leaf – each new blade of grass becomes a brilliant green newness. When the Spring rains come, each drop holds a rainbow, a prism of wonder and color. A rain drop becomes an emerald jewel as it rests upon a green leaf on its journey to earth.

How do we live in wonder and in deep joy that continues for a life time? Is there something we can learn from the seasons?

Suddenly our world shifts toward the eternal and think about the celebration of newness of truth, trust, love, honor, integrity traits in each person. And through that celebration comes the need for something beyond ourselves.

Praise and Thankfulness create a well-springs of joy. Is that why King David wrote so many praise Psalms?

Sing to him a new song; play skillfully, and shout for joy. Psalm 33:3

Sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth. Psalm 61:6

A psalm. Sing to the LORD a new song, for he has done marvelous things; his right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him. Psalm 98:1

I will sing a new song to you, my God; on the ten-stringed lyre I will make music to you Psalm 144:9

Lamentation 3:22-23 – Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

The verses of the Bible that intrigue me most deal with new vistas. No longer do I wish to travel far away lands, for this destination is by far worthy of a difficult journey in this world.

I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.

I heard a loud voice from the throne. It said, “Now God makes his home with people. He will live with them. They will be his people. And God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or sadness. There will be no more crying or pain. Things are no longer the way they used to be.”

He who was sitting on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down. You can trust these words. They are true.” Revelation 21:2-5