Before & After

Revelations 21:5

And he that sat upon the throne said, behold, I make all things new….

Encourage you to make time to get alone with God today. Read revelations chapter 21 and 22! Get excited about heaven and the wondrous eternity God has planned for us.

Have you ever had something new?A new outfit? A new car? A new home? There really isn’t anything quite like new. I’ve only ever live in a new home twice in my lifetime (as far as I can remember). My parents built a new house when I was eight years old. I was excited to observe the building process! We actually lived in an RV in the front yard as the house was being built. Sharing a room with my little sister was not a problem. Our room seemed gigantic compared to the RV.

My husband and I have lived in seven houses and moved eight times in our 29 years (we lived in one house twice). Only one of those homes was brand new! I remember the pride we felt creating our own blueprints, designing each space, and selecting colors and elements that were specifically our taste. One special memory, as we were wallpapering a nook in our son’s room, our two-year-old daughter walked in and said, “where is my some of that?” Of course, we went out and bought her a beautiful, extra-wide border with bunny rabbits on it. I loved every detail of that house because I had created it!

Older homes are a bit more difficult to tackle. Regardless of how many new coats of paint, sometimes it still does it feel new. However, we recently stripped our master bathroom down to the plywood floor and re-created a masterpiece. As I look around the room, I scarcely can remember the outdated wallpaper, broken fixtures, and dirty carpet that was once there. Through the skilled laborers of many, behold, I have a new room.

Lately, I’ve been thinking of a song that my husband used to sing called My Heart is Like a House. The lyrics referred to our hearts having many rooms, in particular, a secret, dirty room where we won’t let anyone enter.

When I have guests over, I never would invite them to use my old bathroom. Now, I need to work on keeping my bedroom clean, so everyone can walk through to see my new place!

The song lyrics continue, “…one day I let the Savior in… And when I think of that room now, I’m not ashamed anymore because I know that hidden sin no longer hides behind that door….”

Jesus is the master craftsman. He was there when you were created, and if you open up the door to your heart, He will come in and re-create you. He has the power to make all things new, especially you!

When others look at you they’ll scarcely remember the one you were before and they will only see the masterpiece that you are after the Savior has visited.