New Life In Christ

Late one summer afternoon, I grabbed my camera and went outside with high hopes of capturing something to add to my photos and messages collection. As I toured the backyard, I noticed an unusual-looking crusty brownish-orange bug, with tiny black specks, on a shrub. I really wasn’t sure what kind it was, but the green leafy background created a colorful photo. Then, something very astonishing happened! Right after I took the first photo, the bug sat upright on its bottom side and I jokingly asked, “Are you posing for the camera?” I began taking numerous photos, and within less than a minute, it began shedding its exoskeleton. As my observation continued, I became excited about photographing a wonderful presentation of God’s creation. The little body eased its way out of the upper end, but it puzzled me. There were no spots and it was no longer orange, but a dull yellow color. It crawled to the edge of the empty skeleton, and then after a few seconds, it crawled onto the top of the hollow, crusty skin. It did this two times before traveling to the opposite side of the leaf, and at that moment, the message within began to unfold.

I lingered longer in observation of the metamorphic display and patiently watched as the outer layer became shiny and translucent. Faint evidence of little black dots slowly emerged as the pale yellow color mutated into a yellowish-orange, and within minutes, the black dots became increasingly prominent. What I had witnessed was the progression of an insect through the larvae and pupa stages. Surprisingly, it was a ladybug and new life had just begun!!

So much of God’s nature parallels life’s lessons and it leaves lasting impressions in my mind. Just like the ladybug returning to its old skin, oftentimes we lay down our heavy loads at the foot of the cross and then turn right back around to retrieve them. Like the ladybug returning to its exoskeleton, sometimes we are guilty of returning to lifestyles that are not pleasing to God. The bug traveled to the opposite side of the leaf to begin its new life, and so it is with us. Shedding the skins of our old nature allows us to make a one-hundred-eighty degree turn and live in peace and victory, as we begin our new life in Christ.

I’ll never forget that afternoon when God “step-by-step” unfolded a beautiful and extraordinary illustration of new life, not only for a tiny ladybug but for me, as well! What a forever memory it has created in my memory bank and I sure hope it will touch your life, too. The photos of that day still bring me joy, because of the intricately designed way that God created nature and He created us to also have new life in Him. If you’ve not already made the vital decision to surrender your heart to Jesus, I hope that you will do so while you still have breath and a heartbeat! It will be the most important decision you’ll ever make and YES, it’s a life or death decision! 2 Corinthians 5:17

Melinda Blair

A Follower's Thoughts - The Glue That Holds Us Together

Colossians 1: 15-17 says, “The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.”

What are Laminins? They are molecules that hold each cell of our bodies to the next cell. Without them, we would literally fall apart. When seen under a microscope, a laminin molecule is basically shaped like a cross. No joke! Now, I would say that it’s not a perfect cross, but it’s a cross. If you look up Laminin in a scientific or medical book, they are drawn out as cross-shaped. So, I got to thinking. All of us, as human beings, are held together by a cross, connected to a cross, connected to a cross, and so on. That is so amazing!

Don’t we all have days that everything goes wrong? I know I have had my share of those kinds of days. Somedays, I tell myself, why did I ever get out of bed this morning. We are going to have days where everything seems to come unglued. Worries, anxieties, fears, jobs to do, deadlines to make, the lists go on and on. It starts to delaminate us little by little until we feel ourselves coming unglued. We get ill, frustrated, perhaps we say hurtful words to others, and God forbid, let foul language come from our lips! When we have those kinds of days, we need to take a step back, take a deep breath, and remember how we are truly made; in God’s image, connected by a cross! Remembering the cross that our savior Jesus Christ died on for us is all we need to hold us together, together as an individual and as the body of Christ. For in Jesus, ALL things hold together.

God Bless.

Correll