Hi, friend. I’m so excited to share something really special with you.

My new devotional, Embrace Your New: Discovering God’s Restorative Power, was born out of a powerful encounter with the Lord during a women’s retreat.

While I was singing worship music, God gave me a beautiful vision. He kept telling me to go up and share this vision with the others there. I sat there nervously for a while, then decided to obey His calling. So, I raised my hand to share, stood up, and walked to the front of the room.

I asked the women in the audience to close their eyes and imagine this scene with me. 

“Picture yourself as a wooden dresser being made by the Lord — so beautiful, created of new wood, maybe with some artistic carvings,” I said. “But over the years, you end up getting some dings, you’re painted over a few times, and because of life’s wear and tear, you end up looking like something that’s been put along the side of the road for free. 

“Now picture this: Jesus is carrying you to His workshop. As you see the light coming in from the dusty windows, He gently strips off all that paint, fills in the dings, and restores you to reveal what was hidden underneath all along… so you can see yourself how you are seen by the Lord, restored to your former glory.” 

Friend, we all are broken, and we can all be restored, just as that dresser was, in Christ. The holes will never be perfect, but they can be filled. We all go through a lot in life, but we can be made new by our Creator. We can make a choice to continue down a road that doesn’t serve us, or we can take a new path of healing and restoration. 

Today is the day when you enter the workshop. Take a look around, get used to the surroundings, and know that God is with you, always. In time, He will begin to strip off all the paint, allowing you to get real with yourself and embrace a new you — one that has been hidden inside.

The journey isn’t an easy one, but let me tell you, friend, it will be worth it.

Here’s a sample devotion from the book to encourage your heart…

Be Transformed

“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”
Romans 12:1–2 ESV

When I look at my garden, I love to think of how we planted little seeds, and from those seeds, something amazing happened — they turned into green, growing plants that have provided delicious fruit or gorgeous flowers.

Friend, in this restoration process, you can change into something beautiful and joyful, too. You can plant seeds of new thoughts, beliefs, and intentions in your heart, but you also need to water those seeds by nurturing and cultivating them. You can do this by making a consistent, conscious effort to see the “new you” grow. This could involve taking action or creating a supportive environment. But be patient as God grows these actions into something new and exciting, fresh and beautiful. There may be some days in this process that it doesn’t feel like it, but it is happening! Good things often take time to achieve. 

Shedding layers and becoming made new isn’t easy, and often it takes the tears and pain of learning more about yourself and uncovering things from your past. But know that God made you with the ability to change. Just because you carry wounds from your past doesn’t mean you can go back and fix them, but you can decide today to change and be restored rather than staying stuck in your old patterns. You can start to emerge from the seed, as you grow toward the light. Remember, friend, with God, all things are possible! 

Friend, read Romans 12:1–2 again. Then know — and believe — that you can be transformed by the renewal of your mind. Certain patterns and ways can be changed as new pathways are created. It takes time and repetition to allow being made new to happen. But with God’s help, you can be transformed. You can do this! 

Life takes its toll. The more we experience, the more we may start to see ourselves in light of what’s happened to us instead of what God thinks about us. In fact, we may fear that our damage is irreparable, and it may keep us from drawing closer to Him. In Embrace Your New, Melissa reminds readers of the depth of God’s compassion and the strength of His restorative power. It will refresh your mind and heart with the truth that God makes all things new, especially us!