In With The "New" - Kristin Sterk

If you have moved into a new-to-you home, you know the feeling of wanting to make it feel like your own.

Back in April, when this house came up on the market, I remember staring at every picture, thinking THIS HOUSE COULD BE OURS! It was an INCREDIBLY stressful 48 hours, waiting to hear if our offer, amongst the many others, was accepted. I felt sick to my stomach, as the hour of when we were supposed to hear, passed. We had friends over at the time, and I vividly remember Dan’s phone ringing, knowing it was our realtor. As he answered, all I heard was “How would you like to be home owners?”

I cried. And cried.

How could this be true? Out of all of the offers, why did they choose ours? Of course me of little faith now knows why: God put this house on the market, just for us. That sounds incredibly selfish, but I mean that in the most humble and NON-selfish way. It just shows that God knew we couldn’t afford anything else. He knew that “this” house was perfect for us. He knew that “this” house would be a place to welcome friends, family, and our youth group kids in. It was more than we could have ever asked for, and now we sit here as homeowners, once again.

If you have purchased a home, you know the feeling it gives you. A place to call your own. A place to make memories. A place to live out your faith.

As I was painting the trim in Mazy’s room, I couldn’t help but take note of the stark contrast of “whites” (see picture above). The trim had appeared to be a sort-of-white color, but as I painted, it looked far from white.

This new coat of fresh paint represented so much. It represented a new start. A new beginning. A fresh start. As I painted over the old, I knew I was painting over the scratches from the memories of the previous owners. But those little scratches left indentations, that will always be there. A sort of scar, as a reminder that this home has been lived in for over 100 years. And though I am painting over those scratches, chips, and marks, in order to make our own new memories via scratches, chips, and marks, I do that knowing that this home has been filled with so much love prior to us coming.

I sometimes wonder why I am so determined to finish painting, but I think it’s because I just want to make those new memories in our “new” home, knowing it is covered wall to wall with who we are. Not saying it is perfect and it won’t be. In fact, it never will be immaculate because that’s not us anyways. A chip here, a gouge there, well, that’s life. But getting that fresh coat of paint is a representation of a fresh start for us. Not that we left anything negative back in Minnesota; in fact, that was a place of fresh beginnings too. Though now living in a new place, in our own home, I can’t help but want to make it that fresh start inside our home too.

How about you? When have you had “fresh beginnings” in your life? When have you painted a room or re-did an area of your home, and you felt it was kind of a starting over?

There is a beauty about that, isn’t there? As I was painting the trim, I saw paint splatters from eons ago, and it made me wonder who lived here? What was their family like? What was life like back then?

All I know is that for us, we have the privilege to create new memories, in a new home, at a new church, in a new place. Isn’t that a representation of the Christian life too? Out with the old and in with the new when we have Christ in us? Oh the beauty WHITE represents! All I can think of is…whiter than snow, yes whiter than snow, God washes US with His precious blood – whiter than snow.