Change

 Change. Who out there likes change? Who seeks out change? I know that I prefer to kee things the way they are. Don't change things on me. Let things remain like they are. It is for sure that whenever change comes, I get anxious, concerned and begin to wonder if it is necessary or needed. Change. Don't do it.

But then I thought about change. Change is all around. The seasons are changing. The warmth of summer has given way to the coolness of fall which gives way to the cold of winter (though it is not winter yet). The beautiful green of the trees has given way to the reds, yellow and oranges of fall. Oh how I love to see the colors of fall. It is so pretty to see the colors against the background of a bright blue fall sky. 

But wait, that is change. It is a change that I don't mind. So I guess I don't mind all change. Just certain change. Then again, when I see these changes of the trees, it reminds me that there is a greater change coming. It is called winter. So maybe that is the change that I don't like. But then again, I do not mind winter either. I don't like to have the bitter cold, but then again, it is the way the weather is supposed to be so I don't mind it so much. 

So what other changes are there that I don't like? I like it when we get a new car, not that we have done that recently. But it is change. A change that I like. Though I didn't like how it happened last time (our last vehicle was totalled in a hail storm), I did like the outcome because I like our current vehicle. When we realized our tires were needing replaced, we made sure we had new tires on the van. We didn't mind that change, especially when driving in the rain. So that was a good change.

So changes isn't all bad. There are many things that have changed in our lives. It changes all the time. How many of us have indoor plumbing? That was a big change. Or instead of a land line, have a cell phone? How many changed from a flip phone (I know some of you still have the flip phone) to the iPhone? It was a change I fought but afterwards was thankful I did.

Yes, change is all around us and isn't always bad. But the reality is, there are some changes we don't like. Why? Because we don't like the outcome. The change that comes when the doctor says, "It's cancer." Or the change that happens when the phone rings and you hear, "There has been an accident." Or the change that takes place when you hear the words, "School will be closed starting tomorrow for the next 2 weeks." Or the change...

These changes challenge us. They are something we don't like. They push us out of our comfort zone. The changes cause our lives to collapse into a mess. Changes cause us to realize that we are not in control. We are not the ones that actually can control the situations of our lives. And that frustrates us. It fills us with anxiety. It makes us feel helpless and hopeless. It leads us into places that scare us, and make us realize - I am in need of someone or something other than myself.

That someone is none other that our Lord Jesus Christ. He does not change. He is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. His love never changes. His strength never fades. His guidance is always there. He is the Good Shepherd that leads us through the valley of the shadow of death. He is the One who cares for us, carries us, loves us, helps us, and is always with us. 

As you face change today, don't face it by yourself. When you get bad news, when you feel overcome, when you are crushed by the word that comes to you, when the situation of your life is more than you can handle, turn your eyes from yourself to your Lord Jesus Christ. He is there for you. He is the one that will always help you through what you are facing. 

As I went to the hospital on Oct. 8th, I was scared. Change was coming. I was going to get a new knee, a knee replacement. It was a change that was more than I could imagine. So what did I do? Did I suck it up and convince myself that it would be all right? Nope. I turned to my Lord Jesus Christ. I talked to Him over and over again. I listened to His voice as He talked to me and assured me that I was not alone, that He was holding me. He told me that it would be all right. Yes, it would be painful. Yes, it would lead to weeks of change. But through it all, He told me that I could make it through, because He was with me. He would watch over me on the table. He would care for me in recovery. He would walk with me when they got me out of bed. He would enfold me in His arms as I struggle with the pain, the suffering, the frustration. So in this change, I could face it because I knew that I was not alone. 

You can have that same assurance. Trust in Your Lord Jesus Christ. He is with you. He will care for you. He will never leave you alone. In the midst of change, there is the changeless Lord that you can trust in. 

Lord, be with me in the changes that I face.