The Gift of New
Writen by: Pastor Kyle Dickerson
There is something magical about “new.” Few experiences are more satisfying than the smell of a new car, and the smile it brings in those first few months after purchasing it is joy-inducing. Although one can purchase a spray online to attempt to relive the moment, there is truly nothing like new. New ideas, new practices, new jobs, even a new year. Yet, even as there is excitement surrounding the new, there can also be trepidation about change. For some, the new year may not feel new at all but rather serve as a stark reminder that, regardless of how the calendar turns, certain things remain the same. For them, the scent of new may be a bitter reminder of the old.
Regardless of where we find ourselves on this spectrum, there is at least one truth that unites us, if we are willing to embrace it. Whether we are striving and thriving in the new or struggling through what feels like the same routine, we need one another in the process. As we transition from the holiday season into the new year, we are reminded through Christmas cheer, lights, cookies, parties, and family gatherings that we are better together.
One way Christmas is celebrated is through remembering the profound belief that God chooses to be with us. This presence is not only experienced in moments of celebration and new beginnings but also in seasons of struggle and challenge, perhaps even more acutely during those times. Furthermore, this presence is often expressed through the people in our lives: the friend who shows up to grieve alongside us, the unexpected seasonal greeting card, the birthday phone call, or even a simple “thinking of you” text that breaks through the fog of loneliness.
As we press into the new or continue working through the old, what might it look like to do so together? At the YMCA, community is central to who we are. We are more than the equipment on the floor or the water in a pool; we are a family. Perhaps the “new” for us this year is a renewed commitment to community—bringing that “new car smell” joy to one another by showing up in small, unexpected, and even mundane ways to love, serve, and care.
