Devotion for April 29, 2021 from Pastor Barbara Caine of Holy Redeemer:
2 Corinthians 5:17
So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!
Many of you know that I just got back from vacation – an incredible vacation to the island of Kaua’i – and I am so grateful for the experience. Everywhere I looked there was evidence of God’s incredible creation. Flowers, birds, fish, plants, trees, coral, turtles, streams, vines, and that doesn’t even touch the sand and the waves.
There was something healing after all the months of isolation in seeing the abundant variety of colors in the sky, tasting ocean salt on my tongue, feeling the rough sand on my feet, hearing the birdsong, and smelling air that is fresher than I have ever experienced before. Truly, God’s imagination is mind-boggling to create such beauty! I became convinced anew of the love of God for this world, and for all who inhabit it. And I took as many pictures as I could. If you’ve got several hours, I’d be happy to show them to you!
I had not realized just how little attention I have been paying to creation this past year or so since I’ve spent so much time inside the house. And I won’t exactly say I’m a new creation since my vacation, since we’re still so restricted here at home, but I will say that I am reminded that God delights in wondrous variety – not just in landscape, but also in the creatures that walk upon this earth. We are each unique, from differing cultures and generations and values and home situations, and yet our constant hope is in the God who created us, the God who sustains us, and the hope God holds for us, especially when we are weighed down.
So, because it did me so much good, I will make a suggestion, my beloved! Consider stepping out into creation in some small way. Perhaps you can stop to sniff a flower, or walk on the beach, taste something wonderful (Hooray for food delivery people!), listen to a child giggle (on TV works), or take a look at the moon. If you are like me, you may just find that it will give your heart a lift and your hope a boost and give an opportunity to the God who walks beside you to renew your strength and help to make you new.
In Christ, Pastor Barbara