New, old things

There is no new thing under the sun. King Solomon did some painstaking research to prove that point. But, isn’t it refreshing when we can look at something we’re used to with a new, fresh perspective, and gain a whole new appreciation for it?

Last week I had family visiting from Idaho – my sister, Susan; her husband, Larry; and daughter, Kristie. Larry had never seen Texas and Susan and Kristie had not visited in more than three years. We went through all the usual stops, which include a nearby antiquing town, a Cypress swamp, and of course, the amusement that is my large extended family.

While trolling through Caddo Lake, under its mysterious centuries-old Cypress trees, I listened to the tour guide, who by his own omission was not an educated man, but the wealth of knowledge he possessed about the land and water he grew up on made me proud. Additionally, I’d forgotten the beauty and uniqueness of the place that is a mere 50 minutes from my driveway. I wouldn’t have even been there if it weren’t for family visiting, and I found myself anticipating what they would find impressive, and at the same time, remembered how impressed I was with it myself. To make things more interesting, my father has become nearly an expert on the history of our region, and listening to him recount the significance of brick buildings and dirt roads along the way made me stand a little taller.

A little later, we were at a dinner attended by almost all of my mom’s family. Not one of them failed to shake my sister and brother-in-law’s hands, welcoming them and assuring them that they were family. That just doesn’t happen everywhere. Again, I beamed with pride and appreciation.

It’s easy to get wrapped up in what other places have to offer, but I’m glad I had the chance to see through another’s eyes how much I have just a few steps from my front door.

Likewise, it seems almost effortless to slip into spiritual indifference, even numbness, and forget the beauty of what God has done in my life, or any life. Anyone can get comfortable with a routine and begin to go through the motions. For me, it only takes studying a familiar passage that well illustrates the saving grace and passion of Jesus to make me fall in love all over again with renewed vigor and purpose.

Every time I put forth the effort to grow, and pull myself off that spiritual treadmill, He always gives me a 200 percent return, revealing to me something new, although it’s not new at all. It’s really a gift, a piece of wisdom, a new closeness, that’s been waiting for me the whole time.