Thank Goodness!

Lamentations 3:22-23

“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;

his mercies never come to an end;

they are new every morning;

great is your faithfulness.”

One of my favorite movies of all times is Groundhog Day. Partly because I grew up 20 miles from there.

Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania is a small town made very famous by an overgrown rodent. Really one of the farmers most hated enemies. Their tunnels erode fields and do a lot of damage to crops and equipment.

But the problem of the movie is that every single day Bill Murray – a news reporter there to cover P Phil’s prediction of winter – every day he wakes up, he discovers he is back in the moment of the same day he lived yesterday. Nothing he can do will change it. Over and over and over and over. You get the point.

I can look back at my past and realize there have been times when I have been in that same situation. Not that every day plays exactly on repeat, but that I bring the same old baggage, habits and how I respond and deal with situations into each day hopeful something will change – only to discover I’m living much of my life stuck in patterns playing on repeat.

This scripture assures me that God’s mercies and love never cease or come to an end.

They are new every morning.

Think about that.

Even though I think I exhausted God yesterday, everything starts over every day. No one has ever come close to loving me like that.

And that’s what makes God – God.

Even though Bill Murray relived every single moment of his life over and over – days after day – we don’t have to.

Nothing changed in the script of the movie until he began to experience a heart change. He began to treat people kinder and he began to see the world around him differently. Then one morning he woke up and discovered it WAS a new day.

God’s forgiveness, love and mercy lifts us out of that play on repeat life.

But we get to choose.

Are we content to live in the unhealthy patterns and habits we carry, dragging them day after day into a new day expecting something to change or do we want to open our hands and release them to God?

I choose to release them.

What about you?

“Lord, Father, God we come to You today. Please help us to release our old, unhealthy patterns and habits to you. Help us to understand the depths of Your love and mercies and begin today – new. We love You, Lord. We praise You. Amen”

Your traveling buddy,

Janet

Author: Janet Reeger

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