All things will be made new. . .

For the earnest expectation of the creation waiteth for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to vanity, not of its own will, but by reason of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the liberty of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. And not only so, but ourselves also, who have the first-fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for our adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.
(Romans 8:19-23)

Sometimes, in His mercy, the Lord takes our beloved pets in their sleep, other times, for our good and His glory, He does not. Either way, the loss of a four-legged companion is a poignant reminder that our sin has affected the whole of God's marvelous creation. By disobeying God, Adam brought death and suffering into a world, which only a short time before, God had declared very good.

We are thankful to the Lord that He entrusted to our care, for 14 years of her 21 years, a fun-loving, sweet little red mare who went by the nickname of Scratches (or sometimes “Rodeo Red” for her not-so-sweet pasture etiquette!) This week, we had to say goodbye . . . and a lot of tears have been shed.

"The greater are our affections the deeper are our afflictions, and the more we love the more we have to weep." J.C. Ryle

 Mornings won’t be the same without her enthusiastic nicker and her the little temper tantrums (she was NOT the boss mare, and didn’t like it one bit. . .she was so special, after all!) And we will certainly miss her namesake move of backing up to you in the pasture so she could be scratched right above the tail; something started, when she was just a foal, by some dear friends. It became her test of friendship. You scratched, you were her buddy; you smacked her and you were shunned. She was a joy to watch and to ride, so agile, so athletic, so catty and cowy, so curious and willing, so silly at times. To say that she will be missed is a bit of an understatement. Alas, such is the way of life since the fall when all of creation was cursed and death entered the world all because of man’s sin.

I am most thankful that our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, has reversed that curse, that creation is being renewed and that He is victorious over death! There will be a new heavens and a new earth and there will be no more sin, no more death, no more pain and no more sorrow. ALL things will be made new! What does a creation that is very good look like?  I can’t even imagine what this really means, but I know that it is good and that I am looking forward to that day! Will there be little sorrel horses frolicking in the new earth, eating grass to their heart’s content? I certainly don’t know, but I do know that God is good! So until then, we must press on and fight the good fight and by His grace persevere to the end in thankful gratitude for the mercies He daily bestows!

And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth are passed away; and the sea is no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of the throne saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he shall dwell with them, and they shall be his peoples, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God: and he shall wipe away every tear from their eyes; and death shall be no more; neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain, any more: the first things are passed away. (Revelation 21:1-4)

PROJECT DETAILS:
Stamps: None
Paper: Shabby Princess
Accessories: White Horse Trading Co., digital art (homemade)
Technique: SU My Digital Studio digital scrapbooking
Photo Credit: All photos but the upper right from Jayne Nielsen
Challenges: 

• Christian Paper Crafts Giving Thanks Blog Hop
• Real Life