Old before New.

I leave for college in 10 days. I am getting rid of old things, packing up the remaining items & moving to a completly new state full of new people. I'm leaving the central time zone and trading it in for the west coast time zone. I'm trading the changing seasons of summer spring, winter and fall for all of my school days of warm weather. I'm leaving behind the people I love more than life itself. Yet, my God goes with me wherever I go. I'm not leaving behind my laughter nor my faith. That will be constant. Maybe different but constant.

As Iook at all the old clothes and things that I have decided to throw away I can't help but sit here and ponder what old things I need to leave behind in order to start this new chapter of my life. Old things like being self centered and bitter. Things like not caring or giving my whole effort. 

This summer I counseled at a girls camp, where we talked about taking off our old self and putting on the new. This is exactly what The Lord is speaking to me about right now. Just like me throwing out my old clothes,Jesus has given us the chance to exchange our old "clothes" (which are dirtied with sin) for a brand new pair which are clean. We no longer have to wear those old rags with our painful past, because we have been redeemed in Christ!? 

What things do you need to "throw away"? Re-evaluate what old "pieces of clothing" are hindering you from fully accepting the new self He has offered us? Jesus takes our old clothes, and trades them in for brand new. What an awesome God.