Wonder why this is?
Do you think that maybe they fear failure? Or perhaps it is the unknown which holds them back from starting again. Weariness, known in the church world as ‘burn-out’, has given folks pause, and beginning a new phase of ministry just seems something they are not eager to do.
And maybe some are content with where they are. You know how it is…if someone thinks they are right, or feels justified in the direction they are headed, they won’t even consider seeking a better way.
New beginnings take on such different meanings and often carry great proportions, depending on the who, what, where, and how of it all.
Perhaps it is a new job opportunity or moving to a new city. Maybe it is a new church or a change in an organizational affiliation. Some may be seeking a new path of ministry…the road has detoured and now they are once again seeking direction. For some it may be a change in marital status...recently married, divorced, or widowed.
Many of these things may bring joy while others bring tremendous sadness or regret. But the fact is, regardless of the issues facing us or our personal situations, every day that we rise from our bed of slumber is a day of new beginnings. It is a day which we have never seen before and will only glimpse again through the eyes of memory.
It is a new day of opportunity for giving, loving, receiving and extending mercy, and opening the doors of our heart to those in our realm of influence. It is a new day of restoration and healing, forgiving and receiving forgiveness, blessing others and allowing ourselves to be blessed.
Unfortunately, for some, this is but a pipe-dream that will never be a reality, and in their mind, a new day of a fresh beginning is remote. They cannot envision life any other way than in the valley of defeat, dread, fear, regret, or uncertainty.
As I sat here at my trusty computer pondering all that I have just written, the words, the land of beginning again came to my mind. In turning to my old friend, Brother Google, I searched and found that there is a poem by that title…amazing! If by posting it I have crossed a copyright line, please let me know, and accept my apology…
The Land Of Beginning Again
I wish that there were some wonderful place
Called the Land of Beginning Again
Where all our mistakes and all our heartaches
And all of our selfish grief
Could be dropped like a shabby old coat by the door
And never be put on again.
I wish we could come on it all unaware
Like the hunter who finds a lost trail
And I wish that the one whom our blindness has done
The greatest injustice of all
Could be at the gates like an old friend that waits
the comrade he's gladdest to hail.
We would find all the things we intended to do
But forgot, and remembered too late;
Little praises unspoken, little promises broken
And all of the thousand and one
Little duties neglected that might have perfected
The day for one less fortunate.
It wouldn't be possible not to be kind
In the Land of Beginning Again
And the ones we misjudged and the ones whom we grudged
Their moments of victory then
Would find in the grasp of our loving handclasp
More than penitent lips could explain.
For what had been hardest we'd know had been best
And what had seemed loss would be gain
For there isn't a sting that will not take a wing
When we've faced it and laughed it away,
And I think that the laughter is most what we're after
In the Land of Beginning Again.
So I wish that there were some wondered place
Called the Land of Beginning Again
Where all our mistakes and all our heartaches
And all of our selfish grief
Could be dropped like a shabby old coat at the door
And never be put on again.
-Louise Fletcher
I wish that there were some wonderful place
Called the Land of Beginning Again
Where all our mistakes and all our heartaches
And all of our selfish grief
Could be dropped like a shabby old coat by the door
And never be put on again.
I wish we could come on it all unaware
Like the hunter who finds a lost trail
And I wish that the one whom our blindness has done
The greatest injustice of all
Could be at the gates like an old friend that waits
the comrade he's gladdest to hail.
We would find all the things we intended to do
But forgot, and remembered too late;
Little praises unspoken, little promises broken
And all of the thousand and one
Little duties neglected that might have perfected
The day for one less fortunate.
It wouldn't be possible not to be kind
In the Land of Beginning Again
And the ones we misjudged and the ones whom we grudged
Their moments of victory then
Would find in the grasp of our loving handclasp
More than penitent lips could explain.
For what had been hardest we'd know had been best
And what had seemed loss would be gain
For there isn't a sting that will not take a wing
When we've faced it and laughed it away,
And I think that the laughter is most what we're after
In the Land of Beginning Again.
So I wish that there were some wondered place
Called the Land of Beginning Again
Where all our mistakes and all our heartaches
And all of our selfish grief
Could be dropped like a shabby old coat at the door
And never be put on again.
-Louise Fletcher
Today I bring hope to the weary and fearful, and sunshine to the dark days of “if only…”
There IS a land of beginning again. It is not a place of going back and making a new start. One cannot turn back the hands of time…what has been done can’t be undone. But it is, as someone once said, a place where we “start from now and make a new ending.”
It is a place where forgiveness and restoration flow freely. It is a place where favor is in bountiful supply. It is a place where ‘picking up the pieces’ is the norm.
It is a place where age is not a factor. After seeing his entire manufacturing facility burn down, Thomas Edison said, "I am 67 years old, but I'm not too old to make a fresh start."
The land of beginning again is a place where you look around and see that you are not the only one there.
Are you ready to go there?
Remember that it IS a road less traveled, so are you sure you are ready to make a complete ‘about face’ and walk into a fresh, new start?
If you are sure…if you are ready, please take my hand and let me lead the way.
Follow me to the Throne Room!
The Throne Room is the road that leads to the land of beginning again. The Master doesn’t ask that you ‘have all of your ducks in a row’. You don’t have to have the answers to the hard questions and every problem solved.
He is not stressed that you are there with issues. He is not overwhelmed with the problems you present. And He is not wringing His hands with worry about how it’s all going to come to pass.
Hear the Word of the Lord…
“For I know the plans I have for you," says the LORD. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope” (Jeremiah 29:11). NLT
The Lord of all creation holds the deed to the land of beginning again, but I have wonderful news…He has bequeathed the land and all rights to YOU and to ME! All we have to do is turn from the direction we are headed and walk the road leading to a new day.
In this land are new opportunities for ministry and successful living. You know, success in life is not based on things one may obtain. As a friend reminded me the other day, these things are temporal, and the Apostle Paul said that things perish with the using (Colossians 2:23). That new car we are so proud of ceases to be new the moment we sign the paper and drive it off the lot. The computer I am typing this on is outdated when it leaves the factory. Nothing lasts forever in this earthly realm…not even you and me.
The things that are eternal are the things that will last…peace of mind, contentment of heart, lives that are changed because we spoke the Word of Life, those who were blessed because we obeyed the voice of the Lord. These things, and more, will live long after we are gone.
Once you are on the road, then the next logical step is to put feet to desire. In other words, dear heart…get up and do it! Only you and the Lord know what this will mean, but whatever you have to do to begin again, do it! It's not finding the road or even standing on the road that counts...it's finishing the race that brings the reward. But be reminded that walking the road to the Throne Room and laying before the Lord is only the starting place. Once you rise from the floor of worship and petition and worship again, there has to be an action on your part.
God is calling for you today to step out…He is calling you to launch out into the deep and trust that He is with you, making it all possible according to His will. And if you have missed His will in the past and are afraid to try again, not to worry. If you missed it, find it! The failure is not in falling or missing the will of God…the failure is in not getting up again!
This is YOUR day!
Today is ripe with opportunities for success or failure. The choice of receiving and giving that which is better rests with me and with you...
Are you ready to begin again?
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