Sister to Sister: New

Welcome to Sister to Sister! The opportunity for you to write words of truth and honesty that bring encouragement to other sisters. Feel free to link up a story, a lesson, a quote, a song or a scripture that's meaningful to you. Be creative, be expressive, be real.

"He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love." Ephesians 4:16

Here's how it works:

* Every week I'll share a word I'm focusing on. If you'd like to join me in posting on that topic, wonderful. If not, link up with an encouraging post you'd like to share.

* Link up bellow and spread the love! Visit other sister's posts and let them know what their words mean to you!

*Grab the code for the Sister to Sister link up button from the sidebar to the right, or copy and past the graphic to the left linking this post to it, and invite others to join.

Are you ready? Join me this week in inspiring other women with your thoughts on:

New...

How often do you look back over the panorama of your life and see it stitched together with threads of grace, connected to those redeemed lives lived before you? Some thread is coarse and frayed, some fine and golden. Do you see the strokes of grace painted broad across your life? Is hard fought mercy etched over the faces of those around you?

Even as our bodies run more slowly, hearts beating with less certainty and efficiency, a new work is taking effect upon our souls. Death and decay are earth's rule, a tough slave master. At times I feel the whip across my back, the sting of heart-ache wets my face with salty tears, the shackles clank on the ankles of prisoners walking next to me through the grind of life, and I grieve. Death where is your sting? Not on the other side of the grave, but certainly we walk in it's shadow here on earth. 

But God. Simple words, yet full of so much more than we can fathom.When a heart beats cold dread is there hope? When a marriage just can't hold together against the pounding tide of trouble is there hope? When a child cries tears of despair from a wound deeper than a canyon is there hope? Can the old be made new, the dead made alive?

I believe so. Not only because God's word says so but because I see it. Sometimes just glimpses, a ray of sunshine in the dark valley. But it's there, like the flash of shimmering wings on a new born butterfly. Is there anything else that makes this journey home worth while? Not in my opinion. To see a leader being born where once there was a cowered, a heart bent in compassion where once only selfishness reigned, forgiveness smoothing an angry brow. My heart leaps at the sight and gives me strength for the next step of faith.

So I challenge you, take a long backward look over your life. Do you see new written across it in bright, hopeful strokes? Do you see new in those you love and travel with? If not, I encourage you to pray. Offer up what's broken to Jesus, he makes all things new!