Change. Just the word itself makes people squirm in their seats. Change is my middle name and I still am uncomfortable with it. Change brings the unexpected. Change means saying goodbye. Change means being brave. Change requires trust. It is as much a part of life as the seasons of the year.
With each season of my journey I have had the opportunity to adapt and flourish or fail to thrive. Trust me, I have done both. Nothing is more gratifying than looking back and seeing God's hand triumphantly at work. For the other times when my knees and forehead are skinned and bleeding (that would be due to falling flat on my face), my Lord is faithful. I may have stumbled, but I never truly failed because He holds my hand, picks me up and delights in all seasons of my life.
With this last move I have been somewhat stumped on what this season holds for me. I don't want to miss what God has planned for me here. As I was recently encouraged, I want to "redeem the time" (Ephesians 5:16). However, I have been overwhelmed with change this time. We moved to an even larger city, a humongous church with so many ministries to get involved in, the hubs has a crazy amount of responsibility with the new job and we are attempting school with three different grades. Not to mention that the culture in Florida is altogether different than any part of the country we have lived in yet. Oh golly and who can forget the last three months of black mold remediation! To say the lest, this time I have been paralyzed by change.
I feel as if I am clawing my way up the side of a deep well. Some days I feel as if I am making progress. I know optimism and the surge of His Spirit within me. Other days, it is as if I am sliding, no falling, in a downward motion and I give into the strength of gravity. Do you ever feel that way? God is good though. He won't leave me in this paralyzed state. A few weeks ago I could hear His whispered call, "don't give up" and "don't give into the slump". Maybe you know this struggle. If so, be encouraged. We have HOPE! No matter what happens in our life (change) we do not need to loose heart due to this HOPE. The "shake down" in life turns us to that HOPE, causes us to stand firmly in our faith and fill us with the life of Jesus.
But we have this treasure in earthen vessels,
that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.
We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed,
but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken;
struck down, but not destroyed.
Always carrying about in the body the dying of the
Lord Jesus, that the Life of Jesus
also may be manifested in our body.
2 Corinthians 4:7-10
