Fresh Start

I love the possibility that comes with a new year. It stretches before us full of potential - opportunities to adjust, an invitation for a fresh start.

Last fall, I volunteered for a neighborhood renewal project in Detroit. Hundreds of us descended upon several city blocks. We mowed lawns, cut down bushes, hauled garbage, and discarded the remnants of neglected structures and cars. We carried, raked, and shoveled the fragments of abandoned lives into dumpsters and then watched as trucks made it all disappear.

As a forklift removed layer upon layer of trash, something caught my eye- a tiny blue and white china cup. Despite being thrown out, trampled upon, and tossed aside, there it was - a bit of beauty emerging from the rubbish.

I picked it up, wondering about it's history. No doubt, it had once been fresh and shiny. Perhaps it had been part of a set and was the only member left standing. Maybe it was used daily and had consistent purpose. Possibly, it was considered fancy and brought out only for special occasions. I didn't know how it had earned its scratches and chips, only that it had a story to tell.

How similar we are to that little china cup. Our cracks and scrapes tell of the places we've been and the things we've endured. There have been times when we've all felt like that little china cup - battered, discarded, and buried. Yet, so often those are the very experiences God uses to build our resilience and equip us with the tools to begin again.

I am rarely affected by sentimental value and easily rid my home of things that are no longer purposeful. I didn't need or want another cup. Yet, I brought it home, washed it off, and placed it on a visible shelf where I see it every day. With the chips turned toward the wall, nobody would guess it was found beneath a pile of trash. Only I will know, and it will remind me daily about the power of redemption, the hope of possibility, and the beauty of new beginnings.

Maybe you're at the onset of new journey, or maybe you know someone who could use a reset. Whichever the case, let's be quick to give and receive the gift of a fresh start this year.