A New Thing

“Behold, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs forth; do you not perceive and know it and will you not give heed to it? I will even make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” (Isa. 43:19 Amp.)

As a child growing up, my mother, who was raising nine children as a single mom, had very little money for new things. We younger children wore hand-me-downs from the older children and neighbors and friends who shared their outgrown clothes and toys. The only new things I remember were things I received at Christmas: new underwear from my older sisters who had jobs, and pajamas Mother had made. Sometimes we got a few nuts, a few pieces of hard candy, and sometimes an apple and an orange. All the goodies were very rare treats. As I remember, we didn’t even have a Christmas stocking in which to put our goodies, but they were just given in a paper sack with our name on it.

The only doll I remember having was an old hand-me-down from an older sister who was too “grown-up” to play with dolls. The doll had a cloth body and rubber head, hands and feet. The poor thing had no clothes, but it was my baby doll. I would always ask at Christmas for a new baby doll with clothes I could take off and put on; eyes that would open and close and a doll that would cry. Every Christmas I always hoped and anticipated that large, rectangular box under our small tree, with my name on it, that would hold that wonderful new baby doll for me to have and “mother.”

After many years of longing, looking and being slightly disappointed (because I knew my mother couldn’t afford such a treasure just for me, and we were never taught there was a Santa Claus that brought our gifts. One Christmas when I was about eleven or twelve, there was “the” box under the tree. It had my name on it and inside was a beautiful baby doll with cute little clothes, its eyes opened and closed and it would cry, and it was new. But it was too late, I didn’t play with baby-dolls any more. I had grown out of the baby-doll stage and now desired a more “grown-up” toy. But it was new and so cute so I used it to sit on my bed just to look at and decorate my bedroom I shared with my older sister.

I guess because of living with old and hand-me-down things all my life, when I became an adult, worked and had my own money and could buy my own things, I never, on purpose, bought antique furniture, although now married, we have a couple of pieces we have inherited. Those pieces have memories and meaning from times gone by. I have my grandmother’s cut-glass punch bowl and cups set which I treasure very much. I have a kidney shaped desk that belonged to my mother. I remember as a child it being in our house. We have Wendell’s grandparents’ buffet with a marble top that was passed down to him. It was a wedding gift from his grandfather to his grandmother. Then, it was new and beautiful, now it is very old but still treasured because of whose it was. Also we have a very old desk-table Wendell’s father made. Wendell uses it in his “space” on which to stack his magazines, papers and books, and a place to read. We have two very old window frames which have nostalgic prints behind the panes, which were given to us. Other than these, I don’t believe we have any other antique furnishings. I’m ready for new.

God says He has and will do a new thing for us (Isaiah 43:19).
1) He has put a new song in my mouth (Psalm 40:3).
2) He will give us His new name (Rev.3:12), and give us a new name (Isa.
62:2).
3) He tells us His compassions are new every morning (Lam.3:22-
23).
4) He will give us a new heart and spirit (Eze.11:19; 36:26).
5) He has given us a new testament (covenant) (Luke 22:20).
6) Jesus gave us a new doctrine (Mark 1:27).
7) Jesus gave a promise to all who believed in His name that they would speak in
new languages (Mark 16:17).
8) He gave us a new commandment (John 13:34).
9) Jesus said, “If any person is engrafted in Christ he is an altogether new
creation and the old spiritual condition has passed away.” (II Cor.
5:17).
10) Because of what Christ has done on the cross we have a new way to come
directly to God (Heb.10:19-23).
11) Jesus promised new heavens and a new earth to all who are righteous
and free from sin will live (II Peter 3:13).
12) He says the righteous will live with Him in the new Jerusalem (Rev.
3:12).
13) The King of Kings Who is seated on the throne says, “I will make all things
new! (Rev.21:5)
14) Paul admonishes us to “Put on the new nature created in God’s image,
in true righteousness and holiness.”

I am so grateful for the NEW LIFE I have in Christ and it will never get old but will be forever NEW!