A New Thing

How many times in the past week did you hear this verse of Scripture?

"Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert." Isaiah 43:19

As the new year approached, everywhere I turned, it seemed I was bumping up against that verse. But this year I heard it differently than I have in the past. This year I can actually see the new thing God is doing for me. And, here we go again, it involves the new dog.

We live on 3.5 acres. Most of that consists of a sticker-and-weeds-filled field some distance from our house. My husband turned it into a small track for his dirt bike, and the kids sometimes ride the ATV around it. Prior to November, I had been out there only a handful of times in four years. Then the puppy arrived. His level of fatigue directly corresponds to our level of peace and enjoyment. We started taking him to the "track" to run out his energy. There are neighboring houses in the distance and a major road some 40 yards away, separated from our field by a stickery slope and a barbed-wire fence. But Oakley is codependent in the healthiest of ways and sticks pretty close. The traffic roars by, unseen but definitely heard, and creates a nice white-noise effect. I feel like I'm the only person in the world out there.

As crazy as it sounds, it has become my holy place. My "new thing."

I've always been more of an outside pray-er than an inside one. Truth be told, I'm not a great pray-er, period. I can study the Bible for days on end, but prayer has been a harder spiritual discipline to cultivate in my life. There have been times, lots of them, actually, when I've felt strongly the presence of the Holy Spirit, when it seemed like the veil between me and the throne of God was more transparent. But for the most part, prayer is more a discipline for me than a joy. This has been my story for 46 years. And then we got the dog.

I don't know what it is. The going around in circles? The traffic noise? The privacy? The goofy joy I find in watching my spastic and frolicking puppy? A friend wondered if it's the containment, not only of the dog and me, but also of my mind. Unlike a neighborhood walk, there are no houses to look at. No other pets to avoid. No cars or people. It's just me, Oakley, a dirt track, and the unexpected presence of God.

He welcomes me in. I can almost feel His pleasure, like an eager host greeting his guest at the door: "Come in! I've been waiting for you!" He writes His words on my heart, and they come pouring out of my lips. Scripture comes readily to my mind and mixes with my words. I speak loudly; there's no one else around. I speak powerfully. The words are Spirit-led, not my own. My own are rambling, repetitive, uninspired, dull, distracted. These words catch me by surprise. They come with force and with conviction that they are pleasing to God, directed by Him. I know that He hears me. I know He always hears me, but this knowing goes beyond faith and belief. I actually feel Him hearing me. I keep walking, all those circles, 5 degrees outside, Oakley good and tired. And yet I can't help but make one more trip around the track.

When you've walked closely with Jesus for 20, 30, or 40 years, you might be tempted to stop looking for the "new thing." Please don't stop. Keep looking. Keep experimenting. If your prayer life seems dull, look for new places to pray. If you've lost interest in reading the Bible, try handwriting or typing it out. Listen to it online. Go to theversesproject.com and soak up scripture put to music and art.

Don't ever stop looking for the new thing God wants to give you.