Small roots. Strong mercy. New joy!
“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?” — Isaiah 43:18–19
There’s something spiritual about beginnings especially after loss, quiet, or seasons that emptied us. Renewal doesn’t erase what came before; it redeems it. It gathers the ashes, the tears, and the lessons and says, “Let’s start again, together.”
I’ve learned that renewal isn’t pretending the past didn’t hurt. It’s believing God can use even the hardest chapters as soil for new growth. 🌱
After walking through my own season of loss (Joy After Loss), I thought joy would return all at once, fireworks and hallelujahs. It didn’t. It crept in softly: morning walks, laughter that didn’t feel forced, the peace of knowing my loved ones are home with Jesus.
Renewal often comes quietly, disguised as ordinary days:
the first smile you don’t have to force,
the first deep breath that doesn’t hurt,
the first sunrise that feels like hope again.
When we notice these small mercies, something shifts. Our posture changes. Our faith strengthens. And joy begins to make its home in us again.
From Legacy to A New Chapter
Memories of my mother would surface with a brief tear followed by a welcomed smile. Near the end of her life, she began living each day as if it might be her last—something she hadn’t done before. Years earlier, before she sold her home, the bills and paperwork lived in a jumble. If an emergency had come then, nothing would’ve been easy to find.
But later, as I took inventory; seafood dinners, NBA Finals nights, neighborhood drives, a one-way first-class ticket she finally allowed herself and I saw it: she’d started tying loose ends with love.
The truth landed when I asked my cousin in North Carolina to ship a couple of boxes Mom had sent ahead for her move. Inside, I found order and care. Her Will and Family Trust were marked with sticky notes at the exact places I’d need. Bills were organized. Important documents were labeled with phone numbers and simple directives. Even her IDs and my dad’s were gathered neatly.
She knew what I couldn’t imagine would come so soon. I chuckled through tears, grateful. When it came time to hire a probate attorney, the process went smoothly because she had prepared the way. That was her love still caring for my brother and me, in life and in passing. It’s brought us closer. We cheer each other on and almost every conversation includes a memory of Mom. At sixty-plus, we’re still growing.
My favorite treasure, though, is from the winter of 1994. We both accepted Christ at F.A.M.E. Church in Los Angeles. Dr. Andraé Crouch led the service, and when the altar call came, I stood and there was Mom at my side. To be born again with the one who gave me life is a memory I’ll carry forever. We attended church together for nearly twenty years, until I married and moved away.
I could write a lifetime of stories, beautiful and hard, but when I think of my mother, it resolves as good. She was loved by so many. My best friend Yvette and I would joke that my mother loved her more than me. Now they’re both in heaven, laughing together, watching over me.
With the memories and the legacy both my parents left for us, physical versions are in boxes being held in storage, there are more stories to write and incorporate into my own life. With those stories comes a new beginning. Not just a continuation of a wonderful life, an opportunity to create a legacy of my own.
So I live to honor Jesus and to steward what my mom planted in me professionally, financially, relationally, and most of all spiritually. The tears still come and they’re welcome. Those memories bring so much joy and renewal.
Friend, if you’re standing at the edge of what was, unsure of what’s next, hold this: God doesn’t just restore, He renews. He writes new stories from ashes, new songs from silence, new purpose from pain.
Take a deep breath and pray:
“Lord, I trust You with my new beginning.”
Renewal isn’t the end of your story, it’s the beautiful continuation of God’s grace. ✨
Awakening to Renewal
Ask yourself this week: What new thing is God awakening in me?
A dream I set aside?
A new rhythm of rest?
The courage to smile again and mean it?
Lean in. The Author of your story isn’t done writing.
Prayer
“Lord, thank You for new beginnings.
For the gentle ways You make beauty from brokenness.
Teach me to notice the small signs of renewal in laughter, in breath, in hope.
Refresh my soul and remind me that joy isn’t lost; it’s being made new.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.”🙏
Renewal Practice
At the top of your journal, write: “I am being renewed.”
List three small signs of renewal you’ve noticed this week, even if they’re as simple as peace in your heart or a softening in your spirit. Each one is evidence: God is still at work. 🌤️
If this met you today, share one small sign of renewal in the comments. Your witness may be the reminder someone else is praying for.
Joyfully yours,
Tina ♥️