Friday, September 14, 2007

When Things Change




Do you embrace or resist change? When you sense the changing of the guard, the turning of the tide or the changing of the seasons do you cringe or welcome it with open arms? Do you feel anxious or excited? I say...it depends on the circumstances of the change. I am not yet strong enough to not allow myself to be emotionally swayed by circumstances. I'm better than I was when I was younger than my 30 years, but I have not "arrived" and am still a work in progress.

If I anticipate the change bringing good results, then I generally welcome it with open arms, even if the process that brings the change about is expected to be difficult. If I think shifting circumstances are the harbinger of doom, I may wail... ;)

"Change" means different things to people. Just the sound of the word itself can inspire goosebumps or ripples of delight. Something unknown is coming...something unpredictable and often times out of our control...

Think about the following lists of circumstances bringing change and how you feel when you read them:

You're about to become a parent

You can't fit into your pants anymore

Moving away from your best friend

Change of job

Death of a loved one

Divorce

Completing an addition on your first home

Being promoted at work

Starting church with a new congregation

Going back to school after several years out of the classroom


There are sudden changes, and gradual ones, which we notice and mark by subtle or sudden encounters... Like when you look at the kids in your church who are going off to college this fall and remember when you taught them in Sunday School or had them in youth group... Or when you remember the anniversary of the Sept. 11th attacks and remark that you've been married for six years (married July 28, 2001) and think about how the world won't ever be the same.

Good things and bad things come with change. God uses change in our lives. This brings me to the question, how come bad things happen to good people? I just heard about a lady today that worked where I work years ago, and she's dieing of liver cancer. It's a painful death. I wonder why God allows some people to die quickly and others more slowly and painfully. I wonder what changes are being wrought in the families of countless friends and families that I will never know about.

What do I know now, that I didn't know five or ten years ago? What have you learned about your own response to change? At the risk of sounding like I'm inviting you to attend a High School class reunion...How have you changed?

2 comments:

  1. You know, I've had the whole "Why does God let bad things happen to good people?" a lot lately. Here's my answer:

    1. Sometimes the bad things are the result of sin.

    2. Sometimes, bad things are not the result of sin.

    3. The Bible says "ALL things work together for the good of those who love Him." I believe bad things happen because it forces us to rely on God, and because it allows other people to witness our dependence.

    Maybe your friend is dying slowly and painfully, because God is giving her time to seek Him out. Maybe it's painful because she's more likely to cry out to Him. Maybe there's someone around her who will be changed because of her example of faith. Maybe you'll be changed through your prayers for her.

    Because of the situation with Jeff's ex-wife, I was spending a lot of time asking "Why is God allowing this?" He doesn't control us, and often, innocent people are effected by someone else's sin (Please Lord, help me never to be a stumbling block). But I take a lot of comfort in the idea that in the end, it will ALL be for His glory!

    Amen!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thank you for your comments girl!

    ReplyDelete