Change is Hard
My favorite kind of change is the kind of find lying, forgotten, on the sidewalks and streets. Unfortunately, there's not too much of that these days. But there's plenty of other change.
I see it already in the leaves, beginning to change colors and to fall from the trees.
I see it on Facebook in back-to-school and moving-into-college photos.
I see it in the leadership of our church's denomination, both on a local and national level.
One fairly insignificant change in my life? My altered walking route, forced upon me due to this summer's immense, intense rainfall. The path has literally been cut in half. Which obviously means I can't walk across it.
This altering of our daily route has messed with my sometimes-OCD little boy. He's okay having to turn around at the barricade. What throws him off his the extra blocks I walk closer to home. Instead of turning at the ELCA church where we typically turn (because, I too, am a bit OCD about my walking route), I've started going straight past the high school to make up for the lost distance.
The other day, as I walked straight instead of turning, he bucked and whined and said he wanted to turn:
(My two-year old talks incredibly well for a two-year old. However, his grammar is a bit off. So his "you" is his "I". I figure we'll worry about his grammar eventually. For now, it's cute. And he still talks better than the average two-year old.)
All I could say was, "Sorry, buddy. You're not in control of the stroller. Mommy is. She wants to walk a little farther."
And sometimes, I think we're like my little Ezekiel. We buck and we whine and we kick and we fuss at change. We don't want it. We want things to stay the way they are. In our minds, there is nothing wrong with what is. We don't understand why things have to change.
As I consider change facing our family, I get a sense of dread and fear and uncertainty all rolled into one. And I worry. Because I'm scared and I like things the way they are. I don't want change. Especially if it's difficult.
But then, I re-read these simple words:
I see it already in the leaves, beginning to change colors and to fall from the trees.
I see it on Facebook in back-to-school and moving-into-college photos.
I see it in the leadership of our church's denomination, both on a local and national level.
One fairly insignificant change in my life? My altered walking route, forced upon me due to this summer's immense, intense rainfall. The path has literally been cut in half. Which obviously means I can't walk across it.
This altering of our daily route has messed with my sometimes-OCD little boy. He's okay having to turn around at the barricade. What throws him off his the extra blocks I walk closer to home. Instead of turning at the ELCA church where we typically turn (because, I too, am a bit OCD about my walking route), I've started going straight past the high school to make up for the lost distance.
The other day, as I walked straight instead of turning, he bucked and whined and said he wanted to turn:
"You don't like going this way! You wanted to turn! You don't want this!"
(My two-year old talks incredibly well for a two-year old. However, his grammar is a bit off. So his "you" is his "I". I figure we'll worry about his grammar eventually. For now, it's cute. And he still talks better than the average two-year old.)
He kicked his little legs.
His shook his head.
He fussed.
He whined.
He bucked.
All I could say was, "Sorry, buddy. You're not in control of the stroller. Mommy is. She wants to walk a little farther."
And sometimes, I think we're like my little Ezekiel. We buck and we whine and we kick and we fuss at change. We don't want it. We want things to stay the way they are. In our minds, there is nothing wrong with what is. We don't understand why things have to change.
Change is scary. There's the fear of the unknown and the fear of the future. And then we worry.
As I consider change facing our family, I get a sense of dread and fear and uncertainty all rolled into one. And I worry. Because I'm scared and I like things the way they are. I don't want change. Especially if it's difficult.
But then, I re-read these simple words:
"'And which of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life's span? If then you cannot do even this very little thing, why do you worry about other matters?'" - Luke 12:25-26I too often forget is that I'm not in control. But the One who is? He can always be trusted. And He never changes.
"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever." - Hebrews 13:8
"'Come to Me, all you who are weary and heavy-laden and I will give you rest.'" - Matthew 11:28
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