I’ve been doing a lot of driving this past week as I have been back in Indiana visiting family. Of course, I listen to music most of the way and jam along with my pup in the front seat as if we are on some great American road trip.

One of the songs that came on during this time was Brand New by Ben Rector. It’s a fun song with a good beat and fun to sing along to. So I was jamming along and having a grand old time, and then really started to listen to the words and think about what it means to “feel brand new” as our friend Ben says in his song.

The lyrics for the chorus are:

Like when I close my eyes, and don’t even care if anyone sees me dancing.

Like I can fly, and I don’t even think of touching the ground

Like a heartbeat skip, like an open page,

Like a one way trip on an aeroplane,

It’s the way that I feel when I’m with you – Brand New!

While Ben Rector does have some Christian music background, I am sure that he is probs talking about his wife, but I think this is a lot how a life lived with Jesus can look like.

Hear me when I say that struggles will come. THEY WILL COME. And they will suck. And people will suck. And sometimes you will do things that suck too.

[Jesus said,] “I have told you these things so that you may have peace, In this world you will have trouble, but take heart! I have over come the world.” – John 16:33

Jesus told us flat-out that we will have some struggles. But he also didn’t let it hang there – we can take heart! He has overcome the world by living a perfectly holy and righteous life!

[Jesus said,] “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that you may have life and have it to the full.” – John 10:10

Jesus came to give us LIFE to the FULL. Yes that means an eternal life with the Father, but eternal life starts NOW. Today. Pronto. Immediately. (Hints the word eternal.)

(Inside look at Jami’s writing process: This is the moment in my blogging “process” where I tell myself to bring around to the point and stop typing every thought that comes into my head. As in, I literally just said that out loud to myself.)

We have a reason to dance like no one is watching, and like we just bought a one-way ticket to anywhere. Even when there are sucky things happening to us or because of us. We have a savior who has come to give us life to the full. He has overcome the world, and made us brand new! And His mercies are new each morning (Lamentations 3:22-23). We are being renewed day by day (2 Corinthians 4:16).

We have been made brand new by the blood of our Savior. And we have a brand new start each and every day to take hold of the abundant life that is waiting for us.

Let’s go get it.