Several years ago, our church's youth pastor felt led to leave his position at our church to begin another ministry. Then an older couple in the church led the teen ministry for several months---maybe a year or more.
When the church finally found a new youth pastor, but before he came, some of the teens were giving grateful testimony of the couple who had filled in. One girl spoke about how much she hated change.
I thought, "Oh, honey. You're just starting out, and there is so much change ahead of you!" She would have been in for a rough time.
Some people thrive on change and variety, always looking for something new and exciting.
Others of us don't mind changes every now and then. But we're eager to get back to our comfortable routines.
Change is a part of life. Without change, we wouldn't have:
- autumn leaves
- spring flowers
- butterflies
- babies
- growth
- sunrises and sunsets
- the change from law to grace
- salvation
- the progression from friendship to love
- . . .and so much more
We like those kinds of changes. We're not thrilled about hard, unexpected disruptive changes.
So many people in the Bible had to face unexpected changes in their lives.
- David went from a shepherd to a king.
- Moses went from Pharaoh's stepson to a shepherd to the leader of Israel from Egypt through the promised land.
- Gideon was quietly trying to make do in a country under rule of an enemy when God called him to be a leader and fight.
- Daniel was a young man when he was taken into captivity, away from family and country, and taken to Babylon.
- Mary thought she'd have a quiet life with Joseph, until an angel announced she would carry and bear the Messiah.
- Zachariah and Elizabeth probably thought their opportunity to have children was gone. But in their old age, an angel told Zachariah that he and Elizabeth would have John the Baptist.
- Paul's Damascus Road experience had profound effects not only for himself, but also the first-century church and Bible readers today.
Change can be hard. Most of the changes these people faced were great upheavals to their lives.
But if God brings change, He also brings grace to handle it.
And some things will never change:
- God's character
- God's love
- God's Word
- God's truth
About thirteen years ago, we faced several big changes all at once. My husband's company was moving us to a new state, which would involve new coworkers, a new city, new house, new neighborhood, and new church. My oldest moved to a different state, the first of my kids to move far away. We left behind my middle son and daughter-in-law. My youngest son came with us and had to navigate a new school, friends, and youth group.
During that time, a line from the hymn "Be Still My Soul" stood out to me: "Through every change, He faithful will remain." That was a steadying truth through all the changes of that year.
Not too long ago, a line from "Abide With Me" came to mind: "Change and decay in all around I see. O thou who changest not, abide with me."
The first verse of "Still, My Soul, Be Still" by the Gettys and Stuart Townend brings comfort in the face of change:
Still, my soul be still,
And do not fear
Though winds of change may rage tomorrow.
God is at your side;
No longer dread
The fires of unexpected sorrow.
God, You are my God,
And I will trust in You and not be shaken.
Lord of peace, renew
A steadfast spirit within me
To rest in You alone.
Recently I was reminded of a quote attributed to Helen Keller: "A bend in the road is not the end of the road . . .unless you fail to make the turn."
God, by His grace, will be with us and help us make whatever turns are in the year ahead.
How about you? Have you gone through a time when God helped you make a major change?
(I often link up with some of these bloggers.)
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