Sheri Prescott, GFC South Tampa “Mommy, can we go back to our old house?"
After 14 military moves, I should remember that as the boxes are unpacked, these words will come out at some point. Along with hot tears streaming down the most adorable little cheeks. It always causes my heart to ache. To scoop them up and cry with them. And then to remember again that no matter the change, God is there. Unlike our address, He never changes. Unlike our emotions, He never changes. Unlike our surroundings, He never changes.
He is peace, in the midst of the change.
"Now may the Lord of peace Himself continually grant you peace in every circumstance. The Lord be with you all!" ~ 2 Thessalonians 3:16
My mom has reminded me that as a child, I hated change. I loved a familiar, comfortable routine. Then God laughs as I marry a heroic soldier and face change continually (military moves, deployments, friends being sent to other locations far too soon). And in order to thrive in this role, I begged God to teach me to find His goodness in the midst of the changes.
In her book "Girl Meets Change", Kristen Strong writes, “Life and anything that represents life involves movement, and standing rigid against it will only break us. So being the loving parent He is, God gently but firmly urges us toward the uncomfortable places change brings.”
What changes are you going through today? Maybe you're a new bride, learning how to do life with your handsome prince, but don't understand why he won’t pick his socks off the bathroom floor? Is it becoming a mother and learning to change your pace to meet a tiny newborn's constant needs? Is it a job change, a change in a relationship with a close friend, or a complete life change that has hit like a ton of bricks? Or maybe like me, your address has changed again and you find yourself walking into the closet when you meant to head towards the kitchen?
When changes swirl around me, I’ve learned two ways to rest in His peace:
First, I fix my eyes on Jesus. Spending time in His Word when I'm most exhausted (amidst the change), turning on worship music when I'm the most emotional, writing down what I'm thankful for when I'm most uncomfortable, and talking to Him in prayer when I'm feeling the most unsure.
Second, I ask Him to change me. If we want to become more like Jesus, we will ask like the Psalmist, "Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me." (~ Psalm 51:10) I don't want to be the same on the other side of the change. I pray, "Lord please use this change in my life to show me my need for You. Teach me to trust you more, love you more, obey you, seek you, and see this life more clearly with eternal eyes."
We are on this life-changing journey together, beautiful friend. May we stand hand-in-hand, confident in the One who never changes, as He guides us through every change we face today.