New Beginnings: He Saw That It Was Good

Day One: Genesis 1-3


I’m nervous about getting started on this project for some reason. I’ve been procrastinating all night wondering, what will I write? What will I say? What do I have to add to this conversation that scholars, disciples, theologians, and ministers have been engaging in for centuries? What ethos do I have for writing on such a subject? To be honest, I don’t know.

All I do know is that I feel a tugging to do this. Maybe it’s the Holy Spirit pushing me to do it. Maybe it’s my own guilt at not having read the Bible in so long. Maybe it’s because I want an outlet to share my thoughts and writing really helps me recognize what I think. Or maybe it’s for some purpose other than what I can know right now. Who knows?

I’m going to get started now. I’ll begin at the beginning: Genesis 1:1.

When God created the world, life began.

Beginnings. New beginnings (Is that redundant?). Genesis is the beginning of God’s story unfolding on earth. The word “beginnings” makes me think about the change. Our world changes, and because of that, we all experience new beginnings. That’s inevitable. I think it’s what we do with these new beginnings that matters. How do we deal with transitions and changes in our lives? How do we deal with new beginnings? When God saw the new beginnings he had created—light, earth, seas, vegetation, day and night, living creatures, and humankind—he viewed them as “good.” How often do we think about our new beginnings as being good? Maybe we are excited about the opportunities that will come with our new beginnings. We can have a fresh start. We can do things differently this time. We can learn from what we didn’t like about the last place we were in and seek to alter the outcomes this go around.

Coupled with the excitement, though, comes some grief. Grief over what we’re leaving behind and nostalgia for times past. At least it works this way for me. Maybe it’s old friends. Or a home. Or a church. Maybe it’s a job that you really like or fear of the unknown. I do think there’s a sense in which new beginnings can bring grief for what was before. In spite of God viewing his creation as good, I wonder if he felt any grief about losing the Trinitarian relationship that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit had established. Maybe he did, especially after Adam and Eve had sinned. It is an interesting thing to think about, though.

Right now, I am embarking on a new beginning. Not only am I beginning this task of reading and reflecting on the Bible in a year, but I’m also moving soon to a new town where my husband will be starting a new preaching job. I will be keeping my job where we are now and commuting back and forth each day (about 45 minutes one way). I’m experiencing both of those emotions right now—excitement and grief. Excitement over what’s to come…the unknown…and all the new changes that come with moving and beginning a new job. But I’m also grieving. I’m grieving over leaving the place we now live. A city that I love. Neighbors that are some of our best friends. Great schools. The familiar. Mostly, though, I grieve over giving up something that has become very dear to me over the past three years—church planting. I’m sure I will speak more of this later, but for now you can know that my husband and I planted a church and after a year and a half we have decided to move on to another ministry context.

While I may be grieving over a lost church plant, I’m also excited about gaining a new church and anticipating this new beginning on which I’m embarking. I’m most looking forward to having a church family that we can serve, love, and share our lives with. I also look forward to building new friendships and being in a place where my children can grow in the Lord. I know that God will use this new beginning for good. It may not be “good” in the sense that I think of the word, but he will use the times in my life—in your life—“for the good.” To sharpen me. To mature me. To call me to a deeper faith. In looking back over the past three years, I can see he was doing this all along.

I hope that you will share a story about one of your “new beginnings” and reflect on how God has used or is using it for “good.”