Dear Friend,
I distinctly remember the birth of my first child. A new life. I wanted to declare, as God did at creation, "She is very good!" My husband had to restrain himself from getting on the hospital PA system and telling the world, "I have a daughter!" He literally held her up à la Lion King, swelling with pride over his own little "Simba."
New life is hard to miss. Little creatures--be they babies, hatchlings, or puppies--are so inordinately good that we can't help but delight in them. John, one of Jesus' best friends, prefaces his eye witness account with this amazing statement: "In [Jesus] was life and that
was the light of [all] people" (John 1:4). Jesus' life was also hard to miss. But his life was not new: John declares that Jesus "was with God and was God" (1:1) in the beginning before creation (1:2) and was the means by which all things were made. You. Me. Our own little Simba. This life that was a part of God himself before the creation is freely given to all his creatures. He breathed his life into us. We live because he desired it, and he declares us "very good" (Genesis 1:31). Can we rest in that today--that he delights to give us life? Let's celebrate the profoundly good work he did in putting his life in us.
Love,
Your Friend Melana