out with the old
IN WITH THE NEW penelope carlevato | penelopecarlevato.com
Out with the old, and in with the new. How many times have we heard that idiom and applied it? Recently, when trying to declutter our house in anticipation of a move, I wondered if this applied to all areas of my life or just a physical thing? Did I need to get rid of old thoughts and ways of approaching things in my spiritual life? Move on, let go, purge? Was I still hanging on to some old ideas? We recently moved to another state. It was a difficult move. Several offers on our house fell through, we couldn’t find a new home, and then everything fell into place. But, just as quickly, it all fell out of place. We did sell our house and were ready to move into my dream house, and it was almost “perfect.” However, the sellers of my “perfect” home couldn’t find another place, so we were left homeless. Our things went into storage, and we moved in with my husband’s cousin. As we continued to be on the alert for a house to come on the market, we realized that things were changing. We had to let go, be flexible, and relinquish our plans. Our old way of doing things wasn’t working. God had something else in mind. Any house that came on the market immediately sold, and often with bidding wars and multiple offers. I was not looking forward to those conditions.
30. leadinghearts.com
But God had other plans for us. One of the other agents in our realtor’s office knew of a couple going to put their house on the market. We had the opportunity to see the house before it went to multiple listings. We prayed and felt the nudge to put in an offer, and they accepted. The house we bought wasn’t the “perfect” house I imagined. It looked good, but once we moved in, we realized we had a lot of work ahead of us. I wasn’t surprised when our new pastor preached just the message I needed to hear.
Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead. Philippians 3:13 NIV I hadn’t noticed the word “straining” before in that verse. I thought when God was opening doors, things went well. I had to let go of that concept and realize I needed to push forward and get on with the new life in our new home. Because this house wasn’t the “perfect” house I hoped for, I began to complain. I knew if I kept complaining about the house, I would be missing his blessing and the benefits of this move. Life isn’t always a rose garden.
