I Must Stop Wanting to Re-Create!!

At 2:00 a.m. this morning I arrived home from a two week trip to California!  Don't be hate-en.  You can be a bit jealous, but no hate-en.  Besides, it was chilly and not much sun during week two.  It is now 7:30 a.m. and I am up because I really, really REALLY needed to get a least one post this week before the week (and my turn) is over!  You see, I was having major technical difficulties using my ancient IPad....apparently blogger and my IPad have an on-going issue because I can never seem to get the two of them to cooperate and work together!!  Hummm.....I know people like that....in church.

Last week I received the following text from my brother:

Any chance you have any pics of the four of us as kids that we could "re-create".

Oh Yes!! Did I ever have pictures!! I found several and this was the one he picked for us to "re-create".  Aren't we precious?





 

This was the 'gem' that we would 're-create' when we all gathered from Indiana, Texas, and northern California at brother number two's home in (normally) sunny California (but, right now? not-so-sunny California!).  (Yes, that's right!  Present tense!  I actually wrote most of this on that frustrating IPad but it hates me and would NOT show most of it....I'm now operating on little sleep and digressing....)

I searched for a long sleeve white shirt...check! Then a black sweater....check! The red headband....not so easy to find, but, wha-la!!! Walmart comes through again! I was all set to "re-create" this pic!

Here is the end result!



 

We definitely tried to recreate the picture. As much as we tried, however, it just was not the same! Years changed us in size, OBVIOUSLY!!  We no longer had the same clothing or hair styles or couch to sit on.  We were not the same.

It hit me that I want to recreate lots of things.  Events.  Friendships I have had in the various places we lived.  I want to recreate churches we have served.  Women I have mentored. Communities we have been a part of.  Experiences.  Jobs.

Often times I want to recreate the days when we were first married or when our children were small or when times just seemed easier.  Funner.  Happier.  Simpler.

Lately I have had many conversations with other women who also struggle with this very thing.  Wanting. Longing for the way things were when they were _________________ (fill in the blank).

They miss the church they served before.  The discipleship group they had community with.  The ebb and flow their marriage had.  The relationship with God that just doesn't seem the 'same'.

These conversations revealed to me that, apparently, I am not the only one who struggles with wanting to 're-create' life.  People.  Circumstances. Events. Etc.

It reminds me of when Peter exclaimed to the Lord in Matthew 17:4 "Lord, it's wonderful for us to be here! If you want, I'll make three shelters (or tabernacles) -- one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah."

As he was saying this a voice spoke from the clouds and the disciples were terrified and fell on the ground face down!!!  Jesus comes and tells them to get up and to not be afraid!!!

Can you imagine!! Oh please, Lord!! Keep things just like this!!! Us, You, Moses, Elijah all hanging out.  This is awesome!! Don't change a thing, God! This is as good as it gets!! Don't ever wanna go back to real life and real people that's for sure!!

The next thing you know they find themselves face down on the ground cause they heard a "voice"!!! Then Jesus tells them to "get up" and "don't be afraid"!

Wait! What?? What happened to "it's wonderful to be here"?

I wonder how many times Peter or James or John wanted to "re-create" that event?? Can you hear them thinking or saying...'Remember how great that time was?  Remember when it was just us three on the mountain? Remember when we didn't have to deal with all of these crazy people??'

Jesus had more for them though.  And He has more for us.  He knows that we have a tendency to make amazing events or churches or communities or small groups or jobs or whatever an idol.  We can worship them rather than worship Jesus.

The beautiful and great thing is that God is about doing things new!  Creating vs re-creating!

• His mercies are new every morning.
• He is creating a new heaven and a new earth
• We are to sing new songs to Him
• We have become a new person in Christ
• He has given us a new heart and a new spirit

Why should we long for the old? Why should we long to "re-create" something when He has new things for us? The disciples were willing to settle for tabernacles when Jesus was going to show them something greater and better and amazing-er than that!!

I must focus on creating instead of re-creating!!  I must quit longing for what was and be thankful for what is.  What is the thing you keep wanting to re-create?