“But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith?”

‭‭—Matthew‬ ‭6:30‬ ‭NRSV‬‬

For the second time this month, I’ve had the opportunity to watch the flowers in front of the parsonage bloom and whither. Then, bloom again. New life is not constricted by the death around us. It’s always happening. New life was there in ages past. New life is here in our present. New life is our hope for tomorrow. Selah.

This truth can be beautiful and tragic all at the same time. One might ask, how can new life ever be difficult to accept? It’s because sometimes, new life interrupts the death we see around us. New life can be confirmation that it won’t always be like this. But it can also function as the unwanted presence that sneaks up on our grieving process.

New life is welcomed but not always easy to embrace. Try asking the father who must now raise a baby by himself since his partner died in labor. Tell that to the grieving grandmother who lost her spouse to COVID, but just received news that her son was able to survive.

New life and death are warped together, especially in times like these. But the Resurrection reminds us, that while death and life are well acquainted, new life always arises victorious. There is a space where they converse together, a time in each of our lives is devoted to this dance between new life and death, grief and celebration. But in the end, when it’s all said and done, new life will have the final say.

Celebrate what is living, what shall live, and what shall ultimately be revived in your life. Even dry bones, shall live again. Death is only a juncture on the journey to new life. Look around, and you’ll see new life beckoning your attention and a God who is beckoning our praise.

God we praise you for new life!

So many are grieving loss and are experiencing hopelessness. May you show yourself anew to them and create something new out of their circumstances. Only you turn valleys into mountains, only you make beauty out of ashes, and only you turn wilderness experiences into seasons of abundant provision. We rejoice always, not because things are always good, but because we know that you have the power to make all things new in your time. May you revive us again! In Jesus Name.

What is God creating anew in your life?