DAY 1 | To Begin Again
A Five-Day Journey of Renewal for the New Year — Behold, I’m Doing a New Thing.
Dear Friends,
Welcome to Day 1 of Behold, I’m Doing a New Thing—a journey designed to help you step into the new year not with pressure or perfection, but with quiet openness to God’s renewing work.
January has a way of stirring both hope and vulnerability in us. We look back at the year behind us… at what strengthened us, what stretched us, and what still lingers tender in our hearts. And as we look toward the unknown year ahead, we sometimes wonder:
How do I begin again?
Today, Cherry Schwulst gently reminds us that beginnings rarely start with big steps. More often, they begin with a simple willingness to let go, to pay attention, and to walk with Jesus into whatever He is preparing next.
Jesus meets us in that space—not when we have everything figured out, but precisely when we don’t. He comes with kindness, whispering:
“You don’t need to carry the old into the new.
Let Me make space for what I am growing in you.”
Perhaps the most beautiful prayer we can offer at the start of 2026 is simply:
Whatever You ask, Lord… I’m willing to begin again.
Help me release what I cannot carry into this new season.
Help me walk toward what You are making new.
So let’s take our first step into this journey together—slowly, gently, expectantly—trusting that the God who makes all things new is already tenderly at work in you.
Encouraging you in God’s truth,
Your JBU Sisters in Christ ❤️
To Begin Anew
Opening Your Heart to the God Who Makes All Things New.
By: Cherry Schwulst
Bible Verse:
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” — 2 Corinthians 5:17
“Life is made up of a series of opportunities to begin again” (Joan Chittister, The Rule of Benedict).
There is something hopeful about the idea that life gives us chances to start fresh. Looking back, I see that God has consistently provided opportunities to begin anew, even when the change was challenging. One of the most significant for me was leaving our ministry in the Dominican Republic and returning to the United States—a nearly ten-year chapter filled with all-in, out-of-the-box experiences.
While there is no exact formula for starting over, I have noticed certain rhythms in these seasons of transition. They are not linear but interwoven in ways that shape and strengthen us.
1. Letting Go
“It is hard to let go of the past, and yet, until we do, there is no hope whatsoever that we can ever gain from the future.”
Each new beginning asks us to release something—people, places, or circumstances—and surrender it to God. Mary Oliver reminds us, “This is a beautiful world… so long as you don’t mind a little dying.” There is beauty in endings when we allow God to bring new life. Chittister encourages: “Everyone has to put down some part of their past sometime… Everyone has to be open to being formed again.”
Letting go is an invitation to see change not as loss but as the space where God can create something new.
2. Walking with Jesus: Paying Attention
“I have a deep awareness of myself as a soul who is being led somewhere.”
In times of transition, we learn to trust God’s timing. This stage involves noticing where God is at work and listening to His leading in our lives. Questions like, What moves me? or Where is God inviting me to grow? can guide our reflection.
Howard Thurman wisely said: “Do not ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive… because the world needs people who have come alive.”
Just as an apple ripens slowly in the sun, we grow and prepare in God’s timing, bearing fruit that lasts (John 15:16).
3. Living on Mission
“For this purpose I have come.” — Jesus Christ
Jesus came to seek and save the lost (Mark 1:38). What mission is God calling you to in this season? Thomas Merton reminds us: “To be fully active, fully awake, fully alive.”
Living on mission means making choices that honor God, caring for ourselves, and impacting the world around us. St. Catherine of Siena put it beautifully: “Be who God meant you to be, and you will set the world on fire.”
Tending well to the gifts, relationships, and opportunities God gives us helps us love richly and serve fully.
Identify one thing from your past to release to God this week. What might God be asking me to release so I can receive something new?
In what new ways am I noticing God at work in my life right now?
How can I live intentionally in the new opportunities God is providing this week?
Lord Jesus, thank You for the gift of new beginnings. Help me release the past, listen to Your guidance, and live fully in the purpose you have for me. Create space within me for something new to grow. As I step into this new season, open my eyes to the small ways You are leading and shaping me. Make my heart soft and willing so I can begin again with You. Amen.
As you carry this prayer into your day, listen for the gentle ways God invites you to start fresh—with Him guiding each step.
May this first day of our journey steady your heart with the hope of all God is making new.
P.S. Do you know someone who could use encouragement as they begin the new year? Forward this devotional and invite them to walk this journey with you.
If you’d like to continue the full five-day journey and receive our beautifully formatted downloadable companion, we invite you to become a JBU Member today!