I am a New Creature in Christ Jesus

This week I’ve been packing and trying to get caught up on various projects in preparation for next week. My Valentine’s Day gift was Mom & our friend Nancy cleaned and organized my house while I went to Oneonta to get feed for the yaks at Mandy’s Farm and some groceries for Joel & I. It was a tremendous help, as with everything else I’ve been doing, I got behind on housework and would prefer coming back to a clean house. But that’s not the point of this post. 

 Tuesday 2/19, after farm chores at Paradise in Disguise and Mandy’s Farm, I’ll be going with my parents to Albany for an early celebration of my Dad’s birthday and meeting up with my Aunt and Uncle. Tuesday night I’ll spend the night with them and wake up very early Wednesday morning. Why? 

Because I’m flying to Oklahoma! 

I’ll be there 7 days, flying back on the 28th!

I’m really excited about this trip, as I know it’ll be an adventure as well as an opportunity to grow in relationship with God and my brothers and sisters in Christ! Plus there’s a wedding on that Sunday. The first and last time I flew on an airplane was 2003 & I was apart of a group of 20 going for the weekend to a wedding!

Then, in 2009 my brother and I went to OK with a family to help with their 3 young children and we drove out. Even though, I was technically an “adult”, that was the first time I’d spent any extended period of time away from my parents. So it was an enjoyable time, but also challenging for me as. Unlike Joel who’s very outgoing, I preferred to just listen and observe, not saying much. For most of my childhood, I lived in my mother’s shadow and in a ways, was still “attached to the umbilical cord”. So while I knew the people we stayed with and visited, I was still very much insecure and not really knowing who I was outside of being my parents’ daughter. 

Fast forward to 2015 when I went to Maine with a sister in Christ for 10 days. (That was my last “vacation” longer than 2 days.) That trip was definitely life changing and while it’s been a continued process, it was one of the first times I began to blossom and let the beauty of God’s work shine forth. To this day, we’re very close, like a sister I never had. She encourages me to be myself as she witnessed on our trip and to let others get to know the Maria that’s been “in hiding”.  

But as the loving Father that He is, He knew I first had to deal with things from my past and allow Him to heal those wounds. It’s been a slow and often painful journey these past (almost) 4 years. While the process continues, I’m feeling released and set free to an extent I’ve never experienced before. I keep finding myself doing things that I know without a doubt, I’d never dare to do 5, let alone 10 years ago! And I know it’s not something I’ve done, but His patient, gracious, loving work in my life. 

I’m experiencing what 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, 

“If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.” 

Therefore, as I have been preparing for this trip, in which I’m “flying solo”, I’m not afraid.  I know I’m not going alone, because He’s going to be with me every step of the way! I look forward to seeing the new creature in Christ Jesus that I am, “mount up with wings like eagles” as He continues to teach me to soar in the Spirit.