The Only Constant in Life…Is…Change?
Some thrive on adventure while others do better with routine. For those who don’t like change, it can seem confusing, disconcerting, and at times, feel muddy. There are those who choose change, and for others, it needs to be thrust upon them.
Some thrive on adventure while others do better with routine. For those who don’t like change, it can seem confusing, disconcerting, and at times, feel muddy. There are those who choose change, and for others, it needs to be thrust upon them.
Sometimes change is forced upon us such as with natural disasters, accidents, illness and even death. Our hearts grieve for those suffering, and we seek to provide some sense of comfort and equilibrium in the midst of the storm. This week we have read and seen much in the Dallas news about a doctor reaching out to the student in Haiti who was three months from graduation, the first in her family to graduate from college, and was one of the few who survived when the university crumbled around her. Hopes and dreams were changed in an instant. Her recovery as a double amputee has been chronicled. While she has had others to encourage her, it doesn’t reduce the pain of her numerous surgeries and daily rehabilitation, but it does provide hope to know that others are there to share in her journey.
Jesus commands us to love one another, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John13:34-35). In the Word, we learn, “Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2) and “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 7:12 and James 2:8).
In July, personal changes began to swirl around me as did a growing mountain of professional responsibilities and deadlines. I said to my husband, “Oh boy, do I need a quiet few months without any drama.” Seconds later the phone rang and ushered in a daily panorama of additional changes. I could almost sense God smiling…”Do you trust Me? In the middle of the muddle, I am here, working out my perfect plans for your life.”
Each day I would prayerfully make a decision based upon the information I had, only to have it shift. I tried to find my equilibrium. The Lord and His Word formed an invincible anchor for me spiritually, and my husband served as the anchor for our family. We floated, but we did not go adrift. Daily, I praised God for the gift of these anchors.
From the vantage point of looking back, I can share a few of the changes God brought to my life. Our oldest son adopted a precious baby girl (miracle story), another son moved embarking on exciting opportunities, a daughter and her family sold their completely remodeled home but were willing to walk in faith from the east coast to…yes…Texas! For me, a new book comes out this week, another one is due, a new ministry is starting in September, and opportunities to serve are opening up. I am excited and yet, with changes come some degree of stress. Especially when one thought they needed a season of no drama/trauma. Again, “God is in the middle of the muddle…quietly working out His perfect plans.”
You may be thinking…change is nothing new…so what’s the bigger picture here?
On a larger scale: For our country, I think bigger changes are on the horizon. As I see the Lord changing me, I see Him sharpening my lens to view the landscape of priorities. What is eternal? What is truly worth investing in? It’s time to evaluate and prioritize my priorities.
On a smaller scale, and one which may seem on the surface to be totally unrelated, I am disturbed by a growing trend of women leaving, or wanting to leave their marriages. In my counseling, I help women who are left-behind when their husbands are unfaithful or leave them for younger women. But this new trend confuses me. I’m a strong, independent woman, and yet, my husband is still my anchor. We are partners, friends and lovers. Sure, we went through our tough times, like most married couples, but we chose to work through the issues and we came out stronger and better.
Your dialogue on this issue is greatly welcomed. Why are women wanting out of marriage, in essence, creating an escape hatch? Especially, as the article in the Dallas Morning News stated on August 15, if their husbands do love them, treat them well and not scoundrels. In the Sunday Essay, Christine Wicker asks whether women at midlife are beginning to rethink long-term marriage. “a lot of midlife women in my acquaintance are leaving what appear to be perfectly good and loving husbands. Or thinking about it. Or cheating on them. Or wanting to. Or staying married and faithful but buying their own houses, which they either in live in, or keep as a bolt hole.” (Essay: Author Christine Wicker asks why so many women are walking away from marriage | News for Dallas, Texas | Dallas Morning News | Latest News ) I welcome your wisdom on this issue as well, dear sisters in Christ.
Change will come. Some we embrace and others we do not. However, let us be faithful to what not to change. God gives us grace for the journey. We are blessed to serve a God who does not change. “I the LORD do not change…” (Malachi 3:6).
In the meanwhile, “Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass. It’s about learning to dance in the rain.” (Anonymous)
