October 2026 – Awakening

October 2026 – Awakening to Transformation

By Colonel Jennifer Wild, THQ Women’s Ministries

I will be the first to admit that furniture refurbishment is not one of my gifts, but I am fascinated by those who have that talent. I often find myself watching Flea Market Flip. Have you seen it? Two teams receive $500 and a prompt to search a flea market for thrifted or vintage items that they can repurpose. Each purchase must be transformed from its original state into something entirely new. With the help of a carpenter, contestants turn empty fire extinguishers into lamps or old, peeling windowpanes into coffee tables. Items once battered, scratched, and broken become beautiful new creations.

This is a beautiful picture of what God does in our lives:

Isaiah 43:19 says, “See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?”

God spoke these words to His people when they were only seeing loss, disappointment and uncertainty.  He reminded them not to become so focused on what He had done for them in the past but to recognize what He was doing now.  

It is easy to become attached to the way things used to be. We hold on to painful situations, replay hurtful conversations, and revisit our failures until the same story keeps replaying in our minds.  Even when we remember how God answered our prayers and carried us through the lowest seasons of life, we may wonder why He is not showing up in the same way now. 

God is not limited by our past or by the ways He has worked before. His faithfulness is bigger than our story, and His plans are greater than anything we can imagine. The same God who spoke creation into being can breathe new life into a heart that feels empty. He can bring purpose out of confusion and beauty out of places that seem beyond repair.

God says, “I am doing a new thing.”

Notice that God does not say, “you are doing a new thing.” He says, “I am doing a new thing.” It starts with Him. It is His work, His purpose, and His plan. And often, He carries out that work through ordinary people who are simply willing to trust Him and follow His lead. We do not have to be extraordinary for God to use us.

Sometimes we may feel like an old piece of furniture at a flea market—battered, worn, and no longer useful. But God sees more than what is on the surface.

God’s Word reminds us in 2 Corinthians 5:17, “If anyone is in Christ…the old has gone and the new is here!”

God does not just put a fresh coat of paint over our lives. He changes us from the inside out. He takes what is broken and begins to restore it. With patience and love, He teaches us, shapes us, heals us, and helps us become more like Christ.

A refurbished piece of furniture may still carry marks from its past, and so do we. Our scars do not have to disappear for our story to matter. In fact, those broken places can become beautiful reminders of how faithful God has been.

At a flea market, something may look old, forgotten, or worthless. But the contestants on Flea Market Flip see what it could become, not just what it is currently seen. God sees us that way too. He takes what is battered and broken and makes something beautiful and new.

PRAYER:

Heavenly Father,

Thank You for reminding me that You are always doing something new. Even when I cannot see what You are doing, help me trust that You are making a way, even when there seems to be no way forward.

Lord, open my eyes to the new opportunities, blessings, and paths You are placing before me. Give me the courage to let go of what is behind and the faith to step into what You have prepared.

Help me not to stay stuck in yesterday, but to look ahead with hope for the new things You are doing. Teach me to trust Your timing, follow where You lead, and believe that Your plan is good.

Amen.