Changing lives one day at a time...

Change is hard.  For most people, especially as we get older and more set in our familiar, comfortable pattern, a change in the status quo causes us to be unsettled, uncomfortable, dismayed.  It can range from mildly disconcerting to outright painful, depending on how difficult the change is.  Even positive changes, such as a new baby or an impending marriage, can cause stress and concern.

But change is also inevitable.  It happens over and over as we work our way through the various stages and phases of an ordinary life.  We cannot remain stuck in place, because life events around us force the change, even if we resist.  Babies walk, shaking off our hand as we try to protect them from falling.  Teenagers embrace their future, even as their parents hold them back, trying to protect them from too much responsibility too soon.  We rush towards adulthood, then we rush towards marriage and family.  We can't wait to start working, then we look forward to retirement.

There is an old saying, the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence, but I'm not sure that's really the case.  I think quite often we would be more than happy to remain in our own yard, but the fence falls down and suddenly the boundary shifts whether we want it to or not.  Sometimes it is barely perceptible, but most of the major life changes come like an earthquake, changing the landscape and altering our reality forever.

Even positive life events can be difficult.  When we get married to the person of our dreams, there are huge adjustments as you learn to live as two instead of one.  Our selfish desires must be put aside to consider the needs and the wants of another before our own.  It is difficult to sort out family holidays, whose furniture stays and whose belongings take a ride in the back seat to Goodwill, which set of needs come first, where to live, whose job takes precedence.  It is an ongoing negotiation for most couples which doesn't come easily just because there is a sparkling diamond on her finger.

A new baby is the biggest life changing event there is.  In a moment, your needs no longer matter as you become responsible for a life which is utterly and completely dependent upon you.  Most people put their child first, but it involves relinquishing a lot of what comes naturally for them in the process.  Sleep, recreation, meal time, entertainment - it all changes as we focus on the fragile new life God placed in our hands.

A new job comes with the stress of learning the ropes, figuring out the quirks of our co-workers, finding our place at the table.  Graduating from high school, leaving for college, retirement, moving into a new house - all are exciting things, yet all come with their own stress.

And then there are the stresses of an ever changing life which are not so positive - job loss, death of loved ones, financial distress, getting older, illness.  There are many life changes which do not come with apparent blessings, but change we must.  It can be hard to accept some of those tough changes, especially as we age and lose our mobility and independence.

Giving up our life's work, losing our driver's license, moving into an assisted living facility, losing our siblings, watching old friends leave this life, and perhaps even losing our own identity to dementia or disease - all are difficult life passages that hold little promise of better days to come, yet we are forced to adjust and cope.

God knew the difficulty of change for the humans he created, and even when things look bleak, he promised us that better things would be ahead.  In Revelations 21:4 he promises us that,

"He will wipe every tear from their eyes.  There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."

It is in this promise that we find comfort and hope in an ever changing world.  Although we cannot understand the purpose of our current pain, God has a purpose and a plan for us which is eternal.  Whatever we must endure in this life will certainly soon pass and be replaced with life eternal in heaven's perfection.

When we must face the pain of change in our temporal lives, we can count on the promise of the resurrection into a new life with our God in heaven which will exceed anything we can hope for or dream of.  It is this promise which allows us to move forward into change with hope, even when life seems hopeless.

There will always be pain in this life, and change will never be easy.  But while God has not given us an easy path, he has promised that heaven will be the reward for our faith in him.  It is a covenant that transcends whatever life can throw at us, and eternity with him is the ultimate consolation.

Embrace the change, knowing that each day is a step closer to eternal life in heaven with the God who has planned our every moment.  Wishing you peace in your changing life, today and for all eternity.