We Can Begin Again In Each and Every Moment

‘Though we live in a world that dreams of ending
that always seems about to give in
something that will not acknowledge conclusion
insists that we forever begin.’

— the last stanza of the poem, Begin by Brendan Kennelly.

You want to start over again but are tired and fed up. You’ve been knocked back too many times. You doubt that things will ever change for the best, and you are convinced that miracles don’t happen in your life. But as Brendan Kennelly said: 

‘…something that will not acknowledge conclusion insists that we forever begin.’

 For me, the ‘something’ is the Holy Spirit, and I believe that if we are open to it,  we might even sense a heart whisper telling us to: ‘Get Up. There’s hope. You can begin again.’

Thinking it was always down to my efforts alone, it took me years to accept that I couldn’t do it alone. To truly start over again, I need divine help.

I couldn’t help but notice how well my late wife, Cushla, dealt with life’s trials, including enduring a long-term debilitating illness. Admittedly, she could be sad or upset when faced with a new setback, but I was always amazed at how quickly she’d recover her composure and underlying hopefulness. This was because of her faith in God and her belief in the eternal. When God says, ‘Behold I make all things new’ (Rev 21: 5), she understood that he means it not only spiritually and morally but in his whole creation, including in this earthly realm.

To begin again, you need to do the work

Cushla had an unwavering belief that God was on her side and that he had promised to 'make all things new'. But she also knew that, as well as faith, she had to play her part and wasn’t lacking when it came to seeking peace and strength from God. Her steadfast religious and spiritual discipline, which included prayer, meditation, attending mass, and her optimistic choices to keep starting again, contributed to her being the happiest person I ever knew.

 Dianne Kuzia Hill writes in her article, What Does “Making All Things New” Mean?: ‘“Making all things new” calls us to face the world in a stance of optimism and open-heartedness. This unusual way of approaching life is so counterintuitive that it requires determination and strength to do so regularly. “Making all” is a call to action. It is not a passive observation. It is a choice we make daily to believe in others, and in the possible, in order to deny past hurts and disappointments, the power to reduce our expectations of one another and of the wider world. ….It is a way of not giving up on the world, not seeing it for age-old patterns of discord, but facing it as full of potential, rejecting the idea that it is a lost cause.”

Forgiveness Frees Us To Start Over Again

‘The past is unreal’, Cushla said to me a few times, especially in the last years of her life. She wasn’t merely speculating or relying on what others had said. Instead, it was one of her knowings,  a higher form of knowledge she drew from deep within her soul. It’s a somewhat enigmatic statement, even for me, who knew her so well, and because she had discerned it through a spiritual and mystical sense, I’m unable to explain what she meant fully. However,  I do know from talking to her that her knowing went hand in hand with her belief that God could make ‘all things new.’

Cushla’s knowing worked many times in my favour. Whenever we had a row of my making, I’d plead for forgiveness, and she’d eventually come around and say lovingly, ‘The past is unreal’. Her good nature and strong faith enabled her to elevate her thoughts and remind herself that God always begins again and that with his help, we, as a couple, could too.

Though inspired by Cushla’s example, I still struggle with letting things go and moving on. I’m all in favour of the idea of forgiveness until it’s time to forgive in the real world. Nevertheless, I witnessed the peace she possessed was due in no small part to her willingness to forgive and realise it’s a virtue worth pursuing with all my strength and prayers. It’s the only thing that can break cycles, free us and make things new. It’s an astonishing gift from God.

  More quotes to inspire you:

‘The one who has hope lives differently; the one who hopes has been granted the gift of a new life.’

⸻Pope Benedict XVI

‘Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.’

—Isaiah 43:18-19

Why do you stay in prison, when the door is so wide open?

—Rumi