My favorite story to read my daughter is called You Are My I Love You. It’s lovely, and if you’ve never read it, please do.
Towards the end of the book, the mother tells her child,
“You are my new lines, I am your favorite story.”
The first time I read those words aloud, big fat tears were leaking onto the pages and my daughter was mildly alarmed at my sudden show of emotion.
It’s January now, a new year. And we write down all the things we want to do differently, and all the ways we want to be different. We want to shake off the old us, put on a new or skinnier, or healthier, or more organized, or more patient, or fill-in-the blank here version of ourselves.
We want to be a new creation.
But wouldn’t you know … if you know Jesus, you already are.
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come” {2 Corinthians 5:17}.
We are washed clean, we are made whole. We are redeemed.
We have new lines written by the Author of The Story. The very best Story, in fact.
We have hope in new beginnings.
And even on days when my bad parenting moments come more frequently then I care to admit; whenI raise my voice at my children and my heart is cracking a little in concert with the volume … through the grace of a God who is the Father AND the Son, wouldn’t you know we get fresh rewrites as we go …
“But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope:The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”
We are His new lines. And I don’t know about you, but He is my favorite Story.
And you? In Christ you are parchment white; fresh, whole, and loved with an unceasing, steadfast love. I pray you have this hope.