Thoughts of hope, renewal

Over the past few days, as people have looked ahead to a new year, I have read this verse all over social media: Isaiah 43.19, “For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.”

With a new year comes hope of a new way of life — of renewal — at least most of the time. My father welcomed the first day of January 1980 from inside a jail cell.

On New Year’s Eve 1979, our family was at a party with some other family members and friends when a fight between two brothers broke out. The police were called and in the middle of all the chaos, my Dad became involved. In my mind, I can still see him being placed into the back of a police car as lights flashed and children cried.

Paul wrote these words in Philippians, “And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.” (Philippians 1.6)

And John tells us, “… but I came to give life — life in all its fullness.” (John 10.10)

What does renewal, Jesus completing a work, and Jesus giving a full life have to do with my Dad waking up in jail? Not much, initially. Even after his arrest, Dad continued to try to find hope in the bottle.

Aside from the bottle, there were nights of anger, rage and irresponsibility. A night in a concrete cell block didn’t really bring any true changes to his life.

But, I guess at some point, that lifestyle got old. A couple of years went by. I remember just like it was yesterday. It was a Sunday night. The church sang a song and my Dad walked down the aisle and gave his life to Jesus.

And everything changed immediately. Right? Not hardly. He gave up the bottle. But the other things: anger, rage, pride, a lack of kindness — those things took a while.

Not days, not months, but years. But the years did pass. And my dad wasn’t angry any longer.

And more years passed, and I never saw the rage again.

And now, I watch him play with my children, and he is kind and gentle. But it took time.

From the beginning of time, God has always been about renewal.

Jesus started a good work in my dad. And he has continued his work in my dad. A work that will not be finished until the day my dad (and you and I) meet Jesus face to face. So, as you consider changes for 2018 — consider Jesus. I’ve seen his work first hand. He can and will bring about renewal within you.