New Year’s Day i woke up with this mantra bouncing about my scrambled head. Usually it’s ‘Out with The Old & in with The New,’ but for some reason this thought kept mind flashing all day.
Out with The New … and IN WITH THE OLD. Hmmn. It IS a New Year (2013 in case you haven’t noticed.) We get all excited about New Opportunities that might be lurking around the New Year corner. We make New Resolutions to make ourselves over into Something New. We go for The New…(exercise routines, diets, organizational systems, goals etc…)
And, sometimes we discard all our old stuff – just because(!) – it’s a New Year.
New can be good (VERY GOOD) at times. Like, our New Dishwasher – a generous Christmas giftie from my siblings to Mama & Papa that replaced our old-battered & barely-functioning one. Methinks ‘twas more a gift to the Chief Cook & Bottle Washer (that would be ME) now Very Very excited with this NEW TOOL that will make kitchen life loads easier (literally! : )
New Dishwashers aside, what’s wrong with The Old?
In our humdrum lives, many of us quietly live out our faith serving others around us. Sometimes what’s right in front of us doesn’t change. Year in – year out, it stays the same.
Same old challenges. Same old mate (growing older? Together? ‘Tis not for wimps, that!) Same old status (singleton vs. married, ‘voluptuous’ vs. thin, weird(ish) vs. normal, small vs. tall…)
Same place. Same work. (Same cranky boss?) Same. Same. Same.
Same ‘ole, same old.
Mediocre melancholy blues hit. Our old dreams get shelved further back in some dusty corner of our hearts. They seem outdated. Even our faith muscles seem…old & tired.
But those same Faith Muscles got us through Hard Times. Sure, they’re OLD, but check out those layers built while trusting God. All those fervent prayers we made…& the Answers received, ‘tis occasionally good to Remember.
(This might be a Good Time to dust off those old prayer journals!)
Long-held values may seem ‘old fashioned’ … (courtesy, commitment, compassion…) to be replaced with more ‘attractive’ modern get-ahead-goals (ME! ME! ME!)
But, there’s a great line in The Avenger’s Movie when Capt. America questions Agent Coulson about his WWII uniform: “Aren’t the Stars & Stripes a little… old fashioned?” Agent Coulson replies, “in these times…People might just need a little old fashioned.”
It’s not always about ‘what’s in it for me?’ but ‘what’s in me for it?’ – whatever the difficult task ahead or the same old stuff on our plates.
In this New Year, maybe it’s time to ask God for the grace to see “The Old” in a New Way, with New Eyes. Before we discard, dismiss ‘The Old’ as invalid to throw out of our of hearts & lives, let’s go back for another look-see…
“Behold, I make all things new.” (God)
(Revelation 21:5)
grace, peace & New Year Perspective(s)
Virginia : )
p.s. ‘Tis a New Year & Virginia the Blogger has been at it for 1 & 1/2 yrs (yaaay!) Surviving the post-a-day Advent Challenge (just barely, with a few down to the wire & one even posted at 11:59PM!), we’re now back to plotting two-ish posts per week (3 if REALLY prolific.) Last year started Wednesday photographs (to get at least one in.) Methinks that’s still a Good Idea. Hopefully will get back into regular movie mentions… (& review grooves!)
alas, Lent is coming & ’twill still be decided, that… but, as for today! It’s almost Epiphany…
Roses in the Rubble 
I love the photos–we have plans to go to Yellowstone this summer. I can totally understand your perspective of Out with the New and In with the Old. I feel the same way, in many respects. But way to go on the dishwasher, right? My husband just took ours apart because it wasn’t draining properly… he extracted a pistachio (maybe a lemon seed? we’re not completely sure), and thus dodged having to make a major purchase 5 days into the new year! Ha! Here’s to keepin’ the old, fixin’ the old and cherishing the old.
Jayme – you will LOVE Yellowstone, it is such an Amazing Place. A dear friend built a log cabin (gorgeous HUGE logs) just outside the Park… we visited awhile back & had a blast. (We named him a “Geyser Buster” as he carried a Very Fancy communication gadget with other Geyser groupies to know when they were to blow… 🙂 Way to go with your dishwasher (!) We had coaxed our rickety dishwasher along for several years – it was Really Bad(!) but now the new one just purrs. (Literally!) So Very Happy : )
I do like keeping, fixing & cherishing The Old – ’cause guess what? I AM GETTING OLDER! augh!!! grace, peace & Valuable Oldies – Virginia : )
Yeah for your blog and your writings May God give you the desires of your heart this year 2013.
oooh, Carol-Jo, that’s a tall order – the desires of my heart. You have thrown down the gauntlet, my dear friend. What ARE the desires of our hearts? That will be something to contemplate the next little while… & may God do the same for you(!) (i do always ask that our desires be aligned with God’s desires while praying the Our Father.. maybe that might help a little : ) == lots of grace, peace & New Year Joy to you.. Virginia : )
Thanks for your good words. I like Katy Wolk-Stanley’s tag line for The Non-Consumer Advocate…”Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without.” Often the “old” is better than the new, especially in terms of quality and construction. Here’s hoping you have many years of faithful service from your new dishwasher…and nary a dishpan hand!
Sharron, your post awhile back about responsible Thrift Store strategies has impacted my shopping this year… (very +ly i may add!) i ruthlessly gave away bags & bags of stuff i hadn’t worn for 5 yrs to simplify, simplify (of course, there are still shelves full of Purple & Green in many differing combinations : ) We are so grateful for the New Dishwasher – it also saves water & uses less energy & is SO MUCH QUIETER. yaaay. Gloves do wonders for those dishpan hands (along with Lots of Heavy Duty Hand Lotion applied regularly) grace, peace & No More Dishpan Hands – Virginia : )
Good thoughts, VL. Thinking of “the old” brought to mind Jeremiah 6:16 where in the face of non-biblical counsel people were exhorted . . . “Stand by the ways and see and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is, and walk in it; and you shall find rest for your souls.” Let’s hope we do not respond “But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.” Have a great day and glad the dishwasher is doing old work in a new way!
Thank you so much, Mark, for this verse… here’s to following the Ancient Paths of our Heavenly Creator… & finding those Rest Areas along the way (especially when the road gets windy & curvy…)
THANK YOU SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO much for the wonderful new dishwasher. It purrs (literally) & we are so very grateful. !!!! It literally is doing the old work in a very New & more(x2) efficient way!
grace, peace & Good Ways – gL : )
Ginny, love the twist on “old” v. “new” … certainly makes you evaluate what’s truly important. You’ve come a long way with your blogging…keep up the good work! Luv, Cin
Cindy – thank you so much for helping me over the many many years of sistering to learn & to know what’s important. Faith focusing & so much more(!!! ) Love you & so grateful to God for the gift of your life. … Here’s to letting God do New Stuff with the old & seeing what’s around us with New Eyes in 2013 … grace, peace & Faith Focusing – gL
p.s. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE DISHWASHER!!!!!!!!!!!!!
SUCH a good reminder. Dusting off some oldies but goodies is a great idea.. J Blessings to you and your entire family!
Mary Dunlap
Mary – will pass the blessing greetings around to the Savvy Saints & Dwight & the rest of the clan. Guess we need to work on getting our dust rags in better order (to see the oldies as goodies? : ) Lots of love to you & Dave in your Grand-ness (with the New Little One : )
Precious daughter, this reminds me of the teaching of Jesus the scribes instructed in kingdom values brings forth out of his treasure house thinks new and old. By this He meant that such a teacher would bring forth the old with a new twist. It’s wonderful to teach old things like the 23rd Psalm and have old people say they never heard anything I said before–the way I said it. Great blog! Very clever twist of an old saying into something we never heard before.
DADDY but
OOOOH, A COMMENT FROM PAPA!!!! wow, i am Very Impressed you did this with Voice Activation. Kudos… & thanks for your insights about how Jesus took the old & made it New, completely New, as He does with us. Amen…
grace, peace & Old Treasures – gL : )
Happy New year to you “dada” Virginia.
May God give you the power/strength and all the blessings in reminding uson our spiritual and routine lifes in witnessing the love of our Creater in 2013 and beyond.
Dada Beatrice — may I add a similar prayer for you! May God bless you & keep you & make the old around you & within you NEW NEW NEW in 2013. So grateful to God for how you continue to bring Light to the darkness of disease in Africa & beyond. May God continue to endow you with extra doses of Grace, Peace, Joy, Love, Wisdom… & Holy Hilarity in this New Year.. Virginia : )
That was a fine sermon! 🙂 I agree with your Dad.
Now, about these old hairs I’m losing on top,
I Am still waiting on the new. 😉 he-he
Ut oh, Uncle Tree … it might be a Long Wait – not sure about getting New Hair this side of Glory : ) (but if you try parting the few hairs on the side? maybe it will be a New Look? 🙂
grace, peace & New Looks – VA