So, it's about that time of year again, at least for us here in Georgia.
It's almost time to "fall back" an hour until springtime - in fact, it's this weekend. I think I wish we could just stay with the same time all year long; I surely don't care for change or darkness seemingly descending upon us so quickly in the afternoon. That's a huge change for me! One I don't care for. Oh, but I must adjust regardless because it's going to happen!
I'd much prefer it to wait until 8:30-9:00pm for the moon to begin shining brightly in the night sky -- not at 6:30 in the evening. Ugh! That's way too early and it seems to me like nighttime lasts forever. I know, that's not the case at all. Only eternity lasts forever, but you know what I mean. It seems to be dark for an awful long time before the dawning of morning light.
I don't think there are too many people in the world who "enjoy" the darkness. Right now, my five-year old grand-princess, is having trouble being scared of the dark. Her little sister, who is only two, will walk right into the darkness without any trepidation. Crazy, huh? Just goes to prove the point that we are all different and unique individuals...and some of us simply don't care for the dark.
I'm not actually afraid of the dark anymore. There was once a time, a long time ago now, when I would open the front door of my childhood home and step into the darkness of night with a good dose of fear. I'd make it to the car, get what I needed, then turn around and make a mad dash back toward the light shining from inside. I don't do that anymore; however, the changing of seasons and the arrival of darkness a few hours earlier than normal changes lots of things up for me. True story. What about you?
There are some people who actually struggle with seasonal affective disorder. I won't get into that though, it's not the purpose of this post. What I'm trying to say is CHANGE is inescapable and often comes with a whole bunch of added stuff we will have to acclimate and adjust to or do differently.
Any life change is the same way. Whether you're entering the empty nest stage, or perhaps at the very beginning of the walk of motherhood, whether you're starting a new job, or retiring from one, whether you're...well, let's just say we could all insert our situations here and the examples would be endless. The important point I'm trying to make it that CHANGE brings change. We no longer do what we used to do, we no longer have the same purpose to fulfil as before, we have to be flexible and learn new ways of doing things, we have to adjust our perspective and see things in a new way, and sometimes we have to learn who we are now because as we change, sometimes we no longer recognize the person staring back at us in the mirror. Just today, my husband and I were talking about how we're changing as we age...not so much physically, but mentally and socially.
Change requires us to humble ourselves and intentionally give our preconceived ideas and plans to God. Change can require us to trust God on an entirely differently level than ever before. Change doesn't have to be huge for us to become disoriented either since we are mostly creatures of habit; but change doesn't have to be all "bad. Change allows us to grow, trust and rely upon the Lord as He begins to write a different chapter in our life story. This doesn’t have to be negative, it's positive and assuring.
God is the Master of every change.
He is the Author of our story...and the Finisher of our faith. He is All-Knowing. He is the Fixer. The Answer. Our Hope. Our Peace. Our Joy.
My friend, no matter where we find ourselves today, we know that we're never alone. We never need worry we will have to walk through the changes in life alone because He is right there with us, guiding our steps and carrying us through the changes. It might take a minute to get our grip on things, but He will never lose His grip on us. He's a mighty good Father!
And, another thing I want to share with you today:
God uses every season of change to propel us into who He has purposed for us to be. He takes every difficult obstacle and works it into a stepping stone for our future and allows it to draw us closer and trust His work.
The secret is in us surrendering to what He allows into our path. Remember, Job was recommended by God Himself. Noah was chosen and obeyed God's command and saved His family. Moses was hand-picked by the Lord and faced change after change - all preparing him to lead God's children into the Promise Land. What about Joseph? He faced so many changes and obstacles within his life that he could have easily become bitter, frustrated and angry with God; yet Joseph chose to trust, surrender and walk in integrity through every change life brought his way.
As you change your clock this weekend, remember this and know regardless of what we may face as we walk out the door any given day, we can look any change in the face and boldly declare:
God never changes. In this I am confident. I don't need to be afraid. Let's do this!
Finally, let’s give ourselves grace to fail, to mess up, to learn a new way. Let’s trust that this current change or season is going to make us better and stronger people who can share testimonies of God’s divine wisdom and plan, our growth and “come back” moments, and just the good old faithfulness of God. When we place ourselves into God’s capable hands, we don’t need to be afraid. Let’s set our clocks back this weekend, knowing that change might be exactly what we need right now; and remember when you awake Sunday morning that there is joy to be found in every season.
May God’s richest blessings be showered upon you and yours today.
Comments