New Beginnings in Autumn!

Autumn is a time of New Beginnings!  What?  Many think of Autumn as a season of closure. Flowers and plants die. Trees lose their leaves (“Fall”) and become dormant.  As Summer wraps up, days get shorter. The Growing Season ends. Harvest comes. We reap what we have sown.

                Yet it is a time of New Beginnings too! In the Summer, we are Scattered. School is out. People Travel. Swimming, Fishing, Camping, Boating, Parties and Picnics happen regularly. But it is always with one eye on the calendar and the other on the clock. We know this time is short and we pack into it all we can because Autumn is coming!

                What I always enjoy about Autumn is the chance to make a Fresh Start!  School is a Perfect example!  There are new clothes, new classes, different teachers, a new mix of classmates, new grade books and a Fresh Start towards success! The failures and even successes of last year are forgotten and new opportunities are presented to us! 

                But it’s not only school kids who need a Fresh Start. So do Friendships, Family Relationships, Marriages, and even our Relationship with God.  So often we get stuck in Old Routines, trapped by Past Mistakes, Unkind Words, Bad Decisions, Broken Promises and Embarrassing Failures.  Oh, to be able to put it all behind us and write our story on a fresh page!

                I recently had a chance to visit California, where two of my children live. It was a real joy to connect again with them and my grandkids, to repair strained relationships and laugh together as we had often done in the past!

 It reminded me of the story of Joesph and his brothers in the Book of Genesis. His brothers turn on him, sell him into slavery and angrily end their relationship. They believe they will never see Joseph again, and this pleases them! But Joseph not only survives but thrives in a new environment! He begins working for the Captain of the King’s guard, and rises to a position of high authority in his home.  Then he is falsely accused by the man’s wife, which leads to a prison term. While there, he is again recognized as a leader and promoted to oversee the whole prison! He even interprets the dreams of two of the King’s Royal Servants, who have been put into the jail and are uncertain of their futures. Joseph rightly predicts one will die, while the other will be restored to his previous place of service. But after it comes to pass, Joseph is forgotten. He labors on faithfully with a good spirit. When the King of Egypt has a troubling dream, Joseph is remembered and brought before him to interpret the dream’s meaning. He warns of a famine which is to come in 7 years, and suggests someone should help Egypt prepare for the worst. And the King selects Joseph to be the man to lead them!  What an incredible turnaround! But the best part of the story is yet to come!

Joseph’s brothers come from the neighboring country of Canaan, seeking food for their families. The famine is spreading throughout the world, and everyone is affected. Only Egypt, under Jospeh’s outstanding leadership, is prepared. And now his brothers, who had once been deeply offended when Joseph told them they would someday bow in honor to him, come asking him for help.  They BOW BEFORE HIM because they recognize his authority (though they do not recognize him!)  Joseph tests them several times before he finally reveals that he is their long-lost brother! They become terrified of what he might do to them!

But Joseph has long ago forgiven them. He made a Fresh Start in a new country and built a new life!  He says to them, “But as for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, in order to bring about as it is this day, to save many people alive.”  They acted toward him in an evil way, but God used it for good!  What an important truth to remember in our own lives!

Sometimes people do hurt us. They manipulate us, take advantage of us, lie about us, speak evil of us to others, damage our reputations, and in general cause harm emotionally, mentally, physically, financially, even spiritually. We cannot control the actions of others. But we can choose our response to what they say and do. We can grasp our hurts, nurse a grudge and refuse to forgive or forget what has occurred. Or we can be like Joseph.

We can decide: “Life is too short to remember slights and insults. I will not carry this heavy load of unforgiveness.”  We can choose to make a Fresh Start.  We can make a conscious decision: “This is Autumn. It’s time for a New Beginning.”  We can ask the Lord to forgive us and give us power to change. He forgives us for every sin we’ve ever committed by His death on the Cross (if we will simply humble ourselves and receive His forgiveness!).  Once we’ve accepted His Great Forgiveness, how can we possibly hold on to our grievances against others?

Where do you need a Fresh Start?  Is it with your Spouse? Your Family? Your Friends? Your Church Family? God Himself?  No matter how long it has been (with Joseph, it was 23 years!) you can have a New Beginning.  It’s not too late. Don’t put it off. Choose to Make a Fresh Start TODAY.