Change. Renewal. Making space for what God is doing right now.

Mark 2 18-22 has always been interesting to me. A passage of Jesus explaining life and responding to a question about fasting to his people, using what they know in their day-to-day life. Hemming garments, making wine, and storing the wine.

Jesus Questioned About Fasting

¹⁸ Now John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting. Some people came and asked Jesus, “How is it that John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees are fasting, but yours are not?”

¹⁹ Jesus answered, “How can the guests of the bridegroom fast while he is with them? They cannot, so long as they have him with them. ²⁰ But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them, and on that day they will fast.

²¹ “No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. Otherwise, the new piece will pull away from the old, making the tear worse. ²² And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins.”

We are creatures of comfort and habits. We force old expectations onto new seasons. When God brings a new season, we can’t face this time with old patterns and mindsets. We often have to radically change how we live.

Moving from single to married.

A child is born.

A physical change.

A loss.

Retirement.

Relationship changes.

A move, promotion, being fired….

When life changes, Jesus is calling us to change, too. We don’t need permission to grow into a new version of ourselves at any stage or age. Don’t shrink to fit old expectations -yours or anyone else’s. Make room for the new thing God is doing.

I thought about some old wineskins lying around in my life and the desire for “new wine” or change. When something is growing in you – a stirring, a shift, a desire for renewal see it as a time that God is speaking to your life and your mind. Clarity in life is wisdom. Avoiding change to avoid seeing the truth does not bring peace; it just delays clarity. Clarity, even when it’s uncomfortable, allows healing, growth, and new agreements to form.

I visited friends at their new home, nestled in a vibrant neighborhood filled with the sounds of life. I sat on their spacious porch early in the morning, feeling the gentle warmth of the sun on my face as I closed my eyes. In that tranquil moment, I listened intently to all the new sounds surrounding me in this different environment. One sound that stood out, resembling the cheerful clapping of hands, was the soft breeze rustling through the palm trees, which swayed gracefully in the light wind. How can we open ourselves to listen for the “new” in our current surroundings? What does it sound like? Feel like? How do your senses embrace this moment?

I pray God will open your heart and mind to any new thing He is doing in your life. Slow down enough to make small changes. Most change is not a crisis but a transition that can be improved upon one microchange at a time. What is that one thing you can do today? My one thing is this post and understanding what the verse meant to me in my life. Sitting here for a while. I’m also going to open the door to clarity through conversations.

Peace to you.

The song concludes as a declaration of intent. Despite the uncertainty and the “sometimes I don’t know” moments, the repeated chorus becomes a spiritual discipline: “All I wanna do is believe.” It ends as a cry for help and a statement of trust in God’s love, regardless of the circumstances.