Break The Cycle

"The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
His mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness."
Lamentations 2:22-23

Today I sat and listened to three very different stories, some involving people I knew and others involving people that I wish I knew. My heart ached for the characters, longed to make the situation better for them. Show them love. Heal their wounds. Feed their souls. Provide for their needs. Shine some light on their pain. Give them hope.

Some times in life, the problem or circumstance seems so overwhelming that we just want to run away. We think no one can possibly understand. We hide behind our fear. Pray we don't end up like whoever came before us as our examples. Cry in our pillows at night. Argue with the ones we cherish and hold most dear to our hearts. Blame God. Fight against the truth. We long for a new start. Things to be new and fresh.

Fresh: novel; different; not spoiled; bright and clear; free from impurity; revived; new; excellent.

In this world, the newest thing is quickly replaced by the next better newest thing. And the cycle continues. We chase after this fresh idea of living and find ourselves in the same situation, we always find ourselves in. Wanting to run away. Thinking no one will understand. Hiding behind fear. Praying for a different outcome. Crying. Arguing. Blaming. Fighting. Saying to ourselves, if just I had a fresh start.

I've found the only way to not be overwhelmed by this way of living is to cling to the steadfast love of the Lord. The only one who can make all things new. He's the only one who really fits all those definitions of fresh anyways.

But I've also come to realize that it's not just a one time thing. It's an every morning living in His mercies. Letting Him guide in all that I do, every aspect, including my relationships. So I may live in the fresh.

So my prayer for you is that 2010 brings you closer to the fresh start that you've been hoping for.

This post is part of Blog Carnival v2 hosted by my friend Regina…for more posts on “Fresh,” head over to her blog.