The excitement of something new

The righteous will flourish like a palm tree…they will stay fresh and green (Psalm 92:13, 15).

When a book or movie is successful, you can expect a sequel; if the sequel does well, a series will likely follow. But most of the time sequels are disappointing, and the quality goes down with each new release.

There is something special about beginnings. The characters are new, the situation is fresh. The future is uncharted territory, ripe with possibilities. But as each new installment comes out, creators make choices that disappoint or anger their fans. And a lot of the time people just get bored with a series; most TV shows are canceled because their viewers found something new to watch.

Sadly, we treat each other the same way. When a baby is born, we lavish the child with all sorts of attention. We take tons of pictures and brag about the infant to anyone who’ll listen. But as the years go by, the cuteness wears off. When the youth starts misbehaving, proud parents become embarrassed. Pretty soon, talk at coffee break is filled with complaints about trouble with the kids.

It happens in marriages too. When you fall in love, it’s easy to overlook another person’s flaws. But after you’ve been together for a while, quirky behavior starts to become annoying. You find yourself wishing that things were the way they used to be, back when the two of you first got together.

If you become dissatisfied with a series of books or movies, the solution is easy—you start spending your entertainment dollars elsewhere. But relationships are not entertainment; they don’t exist solely to make you feel good. When you get married or have a child, you are making a commitment to another human being, someone created by God with just as much care and love as He has lavished on you. Relationships should be enjoyable, of course, but since we are flawed human beings, every relationship will go through times of heartache. That’s why Jesus died on the cross—to heal damaged relationships with forgiveness. Shutting down emotionally or choosing to walk away only creates more pain; when someone disappoints you, forgiveness can provide you both with a brand new start.