Change

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever ~ Hebrews 13:8

Change – it’s a part of life.

Sometimes, change blows in like a much anticipated and welcome breath of fresh air with which we joyfully fill our lungs. Like oxygen, it is life-giving.

But other times, change hits us hard and unexpectedly, like a bomb being dropped in the midst of an unsuspecting people.

It’s unwelcome, frightening, and often, it can feel chaotic and destructive. And when it happens, we may do one of two things:

we run from it

or we fight it

Every day, each of us comes face-to-face with some kind of change, brought on by our own or someone else’s choices or decisions. We can run towards that change and embrace it, or we can run away and hide from it. We can joyfully accept it, or we can fight against it in anger.

Today, if you find yourself in the midst of change that you’re unable to accept; that you didn’t ask for and don’t want; that is cause for fear, dismay or unrest in your life, may I suggest another option?

Hand it over to God in prayer, and trust Him for the outcome.

For many, this may seem like the most difficult option of all. Because for those of us who would rather live with our heads in the sand and not have to deal with the various changes that confront us, this means even though we may give them to God, we would have to give up pretending they're not there and acknowledge them. 

And for those of us who are ‘control freaks,’ who refuse to hang up our SuperHero capes and would rather ‘fight than switch,’ as the old cigarette ad used to say, surrendering the unwelcome changes in our life to God and trusting Him with the outcome, well….to say that it’s difficult is a huge understatement. 

Because we ‘hands on’ folks NEVER like to be told ‘hands off,’ no matter how many times we may sing “I Surrender All” in church.

Today, maybe you woke up and your day began innocently enough. You were deaf to the sound of an engine roaring in the distance. You were blind to the shadow hanging over you as you walked out the door or answered the phone. You just went about your business, doing what you normally do, and then

Someone dropped a bomb on you, leaving you wounded, confused and perhaps, even afraid of what the future holds for you, for your family, for your school, your neighborhood, your place of employment.

Or even, for your church.

That actually happened to me this morning. While I won't go into all the gory details, I do want to challenge you, as I am challenging myself, to believe that you are in good hands.

Because you are in God’s hands.

Acknowledge and believe that whatever changes are occurring in your life right now, they may have surprised you – but they didn’t surprise God.

He knew about them LONG before you did.  He either purposely orchestrated them, or simply allowed them to take place.

And He has a plan. Whatever changes are happening, KNOW without a doubt that God is at work in them. 

Sometimes, He gives us a heads-up and offers us a front-row seat to what He is doing. Other times, He is at work behind-the-scenes, where we can’t see Him, and His plan is unknown to us.

Either way, we need to trust Him for the outcome.

Yes, life is filled with change. Seasons change. People change. Circumstances change.

But one thing NEVER changes, and that is our Lord God and His love, grace and mercy towards His children.

And because of this, we CAN let go of all the tough and unfathomable changes that come our way, hand them over to Him, and trust that He is both present and at work in them, for our good.

‘We know that God is always at work for the good of everyone who loves Him’ ~ Romans 8:28, CEV

Warning

Warning – never write a blog entry entitled “God is Good,” and expect/think that nothing will happen (sooner than later at that) to make you wonder, even if only for the briefest instant, if that is really true.

Now, I know that it IS true.  God IS good.  But I also know that this life is not. Not all of the time. No matter how many T-shirts, baseball caps and bumper stickers assure me and you that ‘Life is Good,’ don’t for one minute believe that to be a consistently true statement.

God is good despite the fact that life is not always good. Despite the fact that things and people aren’t always what they seem and don’t always turn out the way you want them to. Despite what others say and do. Despite the way things look. Despite the way you feel.

One thing you can be sure of – God never, EVER changes. That is a part of His nature – to be unchanging. Unwavering. He is not fickle or double-minded like we are. God is good – all the time. That never changes.

But circumstances and people do change. All the time. Wednesday could be a perfectly wonderful day.  The. Best. Day. Ever., as people like to say. But then Thursday rolls in like a killer storm, complete with torrential downpours, deafening thunder, blinding lightning bolts and tsunami-sized waves. Sunday could be a day filled with joyful blessings, a day where it’s easy to praise God, a day where it’s easy to see and say and believe that God is good.

And then Monday comes along and begins to unravel like a bad sweater.

You car breaks down, your cell phone dies and oh, by the way, you left your wallet at home. Or you go online and find that three of your checks have bounced, with more on the way because your account is showing INSUFFICIENT FUNDS (always shown in blood red, just in case you missed it being in bold caps). Meanwhile, you realize that your rent is due today. And later on, you find out that you didn’t get that better paying job everyone, including you, were absolutely SURE you were going to get.  

Do you still believe that God is good?

Or how about this scenario?  You get to the job you already have, get called into the office and are told that your services are no longer needed and please go back to your desk to pack your things, your severance check is in the mail, have a nice day. You plod back to your desk -- where there are some empty boxes all ready and waiting for you and you find yourself greeted by two rather intimidating gentlemen from your employer’s goon squad…sorry…security office, to keep an eye on you and accompany you as you leave the building, just in case you might be thinking about going postal and shooting up the entire office on your way out the door. 

Might you be thinking: God is good?

The phone rings at home, you answer it, and the voice on the other end tells you news you don’t want to hear:

·         Your son’s been arrested

·         Your parents are divorcing

·         Your daughter was in an accident and is at the ER

·         Your spouse isn’t coming home

·         Your test for cancer or diabetes or heart disease came back positive

Is God still good then?

Yes, of course He is.  

However, it can be a truth that's difficult to grasp and hold tightly to in the midst of life being not so good.  In fact, it's downright, exasperatingly hard. When things begin to spiral downward in life, I can almost see the enemy slithering up next to me, raising one eyebrow, nodding his head and saying with an eerie chuckle, "So....how's that whole 'God is good' thing working for you now, dearie?" 

Not long after I wrote  'God is Good'   and posted it, some things in my life began to unravel like that aforementioned bad sweater.  Because, as we all know, after a lesson always comes the test. 

But --  in spite of the things I see going on around me in my family, in my neighborhood, in the lives of dear friends, as well as in the Church and, of course, in the world, things that anger, sadden, confuse and frighten me -- I will choose to remember and believe that God is still good. 

Even after the three phone calls I received in an hour's time that left my head spinning and my heart pounding out of my chest the other day.  Even after someone near and dear to me shared some news yesterday that made me sick, broke my heart and caused me to wonder what the future will hold for them now, I will choose to remember and believe that God is still good.

What about you, dear friends? Who or what in your life is causing you to struggle to remember this truth, that God is still good even when life is not?

Will you join me today, and in the coming days, in choosing to remember and to say, along with the prophet, Habakkuk: 

Though the fig tree should not blossom,

    nor fruit be on the vines,

the produce of the olive fail

    and the fields yield no food,

the flock be cut off from the fold

    and there be no herd in the stalls,

yet I will rejoice in the Lord;

    I will take joy in the God of my salvation.

God, the Lord, is my strength;

    He makes my feet like the deer's;

    He makes me tread on my high places. ~ Habakkuk 3:17-19, ESV

The Journaling Genesis

My bloggy BFF Dawn, over at Beneath The Surface  and HER bloggy pal Susie, from Recovering Church Lady  have joined forces (picture a bloggy Justice League!) to create "Random Journal Day" (insert fanfare here), where those of us out here in the blogosphere who also journal can select a random entry from one of our journals (be it new or ancient) and share it with each other.


I must admit, I initially balked at Dawn's invitation to give it a shot, post an entry and link up.  Who, me?  Really?  I know this sounds ridiculously childish. Because it is.  I mean, c'mon -- what's the big deal?  Here I am with a blog to which I frequently post stories of tears, fears, joys, victories, blessings and burdens -- and sometimes, things I'd much rather keep hidden away in the deeper, darker recesses of my heart and soul.  So what's the problem? 


Maybe I'm afraid that I'm not going to do this linking up thingie right. I've never done that before.  It's all new to me, and while I know that change is good, I generally shy away from it. 

Or maybe it's because I'm slightly embarrassed. When I began journaling in earnest, back in 2002, I hadn't really written ANYTHING since my high school days (way back before there was electricity, according to my darling teen daughter).  Looking over these early journal entries, they look so....crude, adolescent and amateurish.  I shared with Dawn that to me, this was akin to me jumping off the high dive -- but not being able to swim, while the hunky lifeguard is distracted, totally engrossed in convo with some little bikini babe.


But -- enough whining and hedging. I'm holding my breath and diving in!

Ok, seriously now....how pathetic is THIS?? My first journal
and this is what I grabbed for?  My creative spirit must have
been in a dead slumber at that moment.  Not a picture or sticker
to be found on this bad boy. 

November 7, 2002 -- My first journal and an entry made two weeks after receiving my diagnosis of an aggressive form of breast cancer at age 45 AND less than a year after coming to know Jesus as my Savior.  A dear friend who was my neighbor and the director of my children's preschool, had been given her own cancer diagnosis not long before mine.  She encouraged me to start a journal, simply writing down what was going on in my life, what I was thinking and how I felt, etc.  But it actually became so much more than that; it became my journey to a closer walk with Jesus:


"Happiness comes from smooth and happy circumstances; but real joy comes from trusting in Christ.  Joy is a quiet confidence, an inner peace that comes from knowing Christ.  We can lose our happiness when trouble comes into our lives -- and it WILL come! -- but it can't take our joy away.  As long as we have faith, hope and trust in the Lord, and continue to seek His face.


The most powerful testimony I can give is a godly life -- to let my life be an example of Jesus and His love.  Especially now, with this diagnosis of breast cancer.  What a curve ball I've been hit with that could fell me if I let it.  I could turn inward and become an angry, bitter person, shaking my fist at God and handing out engraved invitations to my pity party.  Or, I could give this ALL to the Lord -- leaning on Him, trusting that He knows what's best for me, and showing everyone, by how I present myself to them, (how I talk and how I react to the sure-to-come difficult situations), that Christ is in me.

Wow -- that was 10 years ago, and I'm happy to say, I'm still cancer-free, praise God!  But WHAT a long, unexpected journey that turned out to be. There were lots of dark, mountainous roads, pitfalls and scary detours.  Many, many times my walk with Christ looked more like a limp and on my worst days, a slow crawl. Yet those were the days that I felt His Presence the most, carrying me through.  And there were also so many joys, blessings, victories and lessons learned along the way. Journaling through it all helped me to keep my perspective -- my mind centered on what and Who was most important, my eyes on Jesus.


I often wonder what my life would have looked like, dealing with cancer, had I turned down Jesus's invitation to come to Him and turned away from His promise that "you will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart" (Jeremiah 29:13), choosing instead to do it all on my own.


I shudder to think of how things could have turned out. And thank God for how they actually did.     

My Precious Moments keepsake statue; a gift from a friend
during my time in Cancer Land. It's called, appropriately
enough, "Life Is Worth Fighting For."

And even though I’m walkin’ through 
The valley of the shadow 
I will hold tight to the hand of Him 
Whose love will comfort me 
And when all hope is gone 
And I’ve been wounded in the battle 
He is all the strength that I will 
Ever need 
And He will carry me ~ He Will Carry Me, by Mark Schultz

How Many?

Ok, show of hands....how many of you out there know that October is Domestic Violence Awareness month?

Hmmm, I thought so. Not many.  But hey...don't feel so bad,  I didn't either.  Alright, now....how many of you out there know of someone who is/was a victim of domestic violence and abuse?  Sadly, maybe a lot more hands were raised.  Maybe you yourself have been or still are that victim.

Many years ago, in my much younger days, I was a victim of domestic abuse.  I admit that the majority of my close friends (and even my family, save for my husband) do not know this about me (but obviously the cat's out of the bag now).  It's not a topic  I often bring up over bagels and coffee during fellowship hour at church;  I've actually only shared the details with a few chosen people in my life whom I felt would benefit from knowing, to let them know that there is a way out, there is hope and that they aren't alone.  

No, this isn't going to be a 'tell all' blog post.  I actually just felt moved to step out and declare this as a way of introducing to you an extremely beautiful, yet scathingly haunting poem.  It's written by a new friend named Shanyn Silinksi, whom I've had the pleasure of 'meeting' here in the blogosphere.   Her blog is entitled "Sunflower Poetry," and can be found here:  http://sunflowershan.wordpress.com/

Shanyn knows all too well the pain, heartache, anguish, fear and shame that comes with being a victim in an abusive relationship.  But thanks be to God, she now also knows the confidence, strength, security and freedom that comes with being a survivor. Shanyn is a beautiful soul and it's my honor to share her poem with all of you.  Please do share this with someone else, and feel free to stop by Shanyn's blog and leave her an encouraging comment or two:

How Many Stand Silent?

How many stand silent,
Watching as you quietly die?


How many stand silent,
Watching as you are abused?


One, a dozen, the whole world.
What if no one spoke for any of us?


Would you speak if the hand raised,
was raised against you and yours?


How many stand silent,
Knowing who deals death
Just beyond their door?


How many stand silent,
Knowing cruelty lives and thrives
Just beyond their door?


One, a dozen, the whole world.
What if no one looked at any of us?


Would you cry out or would you cower away,
if the cruelty was coming through your door?


How many stand silent,
Waiting for someone to speak?


How many stand silent,
Believing the lies, “I’ve changed”?


One, a dozen, the whole world.
What if we stopped believing them?


How many stand silent…
How many stand silent waiting for…
Just one person to say, “Stop! Enough!”?


How many stand silent…
How many stand silent waiting for…
Someone else to make the world change?

copyright Shanyn Silinski 2010
http://sunflowershan.wordpress.com/2011/10/04/how-many-stand-silent/

A Change In Direction

And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. Then He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.”  They immediately left their nets and followed Him.  Going on from there, He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets. He called them,  and immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him. ~ Matthew 4:18-25 (NKJV)

Yesterday morning, as my daughter was getting ready for school, I made the decision to head over to our county park. It’s rather large and has a beautiful lake with many places to sit and take in the peaceful scenery.  And in fact, it's where a dear friend, sister-in-Christ and fellow blogger of mine, Toni, often goes to get much of her inspiration for her blog, aptly titled ‘Lakeside Lessons’ (check it out, she’s on my Blog Roll).  Even though my husband and daughter are both gone from our house by 7:30 and my son isn’t awake yet, I still find it can be quite noisy there and with too many distractions: the constant barking of dogs (my own and my neighbors’); the phone and doorbell ringing; the banging and drilling from the guy next door who’s been tearing down his old garage and is now working on building a new one; the seemingly never ending parade of trash/recycling trucks that make their way down my street; dishes in the sink, dirty laundry in baskets, and dust bunnies on the floor, all waiting for me to clean them. There are some days that my quiet times are anything BUT quiet and focused, and I find it hard to concentrate on what God wants to convey to me, and on what I’d like to say to Him.  So before I left to drop off my daughter at her school, I packed up a strap bag with my Bible, my journals, some pens, my camera and my ‘Jesus Calling’ devotional book.

On my way to the park, I swung by a WaWa for some good, hot coffee and then pointed my vehicle in the direction of the park. As chilly as the weather had become, I was looking forward to sitting by the lake, where the only noise came from the flocks of geese and the water lapping up against the rocks. As I pulled onto Hughes Drive, I glanced over at another, smaller park in the area called Sayen Gardens. It’s also very beautiful, albeit much smaller, and the last time I’d been there was in the spring time on the night of my daughter’s school social, when we just popped by for about five minutes to grab some pictures of her by the lovely gazebo positioned right out front. It had been some time since I’d actually taken a walk through it. I drove a little farther and then noticed that the traffic had suddenly stopped. Wondering what the holdup was, I maneuvered my car over to the side of the road and saw the flashing lights of a police car WAY up ahead at the intersection. ‘Ok,’ I thought, ‘I’ll wait it out. How long can it take?’ Quite a long time, I found out. Ten minutes later, I had only moved the length of one house, and there was a long way to go. I changed my mind and changed direction, turning around in someone’s driveway. As I drove past Sayen Gardens again, I felt invited to pull into the parking lot. I accepted the invitation and drove right in

 

What a difference a change in direction can make. I was so glad I had come! I'd forgotten how beautiful it is in there. So many different trees and plants with vibrantly colored flowers everywhere. I saw lots of strategically placed wooden park benches with carvings of flowers on them; some tucked away and sheltered beneath the shadow of trees and foliage, others out along the path. As I walked deeper and deeper into the gardens, the sounds from the road faded away and a blessed peace and quiet settled in, broken only here and there by a birdsong or some squirrels chattering. I felt as if I’d stepped into another time and place. To me, there was such a special feeling of intimacy with the Lord as I walked along the paths.  I felt as though I were on a mini retreat minus the hefty registration fee.  Finally, I came upon an area with another gazebo, a fountain and then a lovely pond with its own, smaller fountain within.  There was a bench on the other side of the pond with the sun shining directly on it, looking like it was waiting just for me. I crossed over a little bridge and took my place on the bench, where I spent some wonderfully sweet, uninterrupted time alone with my Savior. The morning had turned out SO much better than I had planned. And all because of a change in direction.

I thought about that as I sat on the bench. That's how it is when we choose to follow Jesus.  He longs for us to change direction, to repent from our sins and follow Him.  He wants us to change direction and turn away from those idols we make ourselves believe can fill us up and completely satisfy us, be they people or possessions, places or positions. Because they CAN’T.  Only the Lord Jesus can, because:

His grace is sufficient
His love is unfailing
His peace is perfect
His mercy is fresh
His forgiveness is complete
His joy is inexpressible
His promises are true
His beauty is breathtaking
His truths are rock solid
His faithfulness is great

Jesus is more than enough for me…and He can and will be for those who hear His invitation and choose to follow Him. What He had in store for me today was so much more than I could have hoped or imagined, and what He has in store for us every day is so much more than we can ever hope or imagine as well.  It just takes a change in direction to find that out.

Into the night, in the heat of the day
We’ll probably stumble along the way
On an innocent path, or a one way street
We’ll leave our past in the dust and the concrete
If you’re ready for a change
If you’re tired of the same old thing
If you’re ready for a change, then follow Me;
If you’re ready for a change
If you’re tired of imagining,
Get ready for a change and follow Me. ~ Change (Follow Me), by Dave Pettigrew

Live Your Life

The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows). ~ Jesus (John 10:10, Amplified Bible)

Don't remain in the past, bound by memories, held captive by things you did, but shouldn't have or by things you didn't do, but should have.  You can't carry what was along with what is -- your Father God did not create nor equip you to do so. Remember and learn from the past, but don't live in it. Live life in the here and now.  Savor each day, each moment, as you would a fine, choice wine; a tender piece of filet mignon or an exquisite piece of rich, dark chocolate. Don't rush through it in a blur, but walk slowly, patiently and purposefully along the path that your Lord God walks with you, being attentive to His Presence and to each detail along the way.

Breathe in every scent; listen closely to each sound; be mindful of the scenery that surrounds you, no matter where you find yourself, and seek the beauty in it.  Feel the sun's warmth and the wind's coolness against your skin; the rain on your face, the snow on your tongue. Take off your shoes and dance, feeling the softness or hardness of the ground against your bare feet. Delight in the pure, simple pleasures and the joyful times that are gifts from your Father.  Learn and gain strength from the seasons of trials and sufferings that He also allows in your life.

Change is imminent.  Keep an eye towards the future and be ready for it, knowing that your precious Lord, Who is your Shepherd, is with you, holding onto your hand, leading you and guiding you. 

It's your moment, your day, your life.  Live it to the fullest, remaining open and ready to receive whatever He has in store for you.

This is your time,

This is your dance

Live every moment

Leave nothing to chance;

Swim in the sea,

Drink of the deep

Embrace the mystery of all you can be

This is your time. ~ This Is Your Time, by Michael W. Smith

Blinded By The Light

I had a rough night last night. First, I couldn’t get to sleep. Then, after several hours of tossing and turning, I finally fell asleep, only to wake up around 2:00 a.m., sick to my stomach and in pain. I wandered downstairs and into my kitchen, in search of some Pepto-Bismal, and found that someone (or perhaps multiple someones) had left behind a sink full of dirty dishes. Neither food nor liquids had been kindly or thoughtfully rinsed off the variety of bowls, dishes, silverware and cups. I became immediately aggravated which only intensified my stomach pains and my headache.

As the mother of teens, I am weary of having to remind them daily to be responsible and to do their part regarding household chores. Everybody wants to reap the benefits of being older and more mature, but having to handle the responsibilities that go along with that don’t seem to get much attention and often get lost in the shuffle. Of course, there IS another adult in this household that could help and be supportive, but that’s a minefield I choose not to walk across today.

Anyway, over the years, I’ve come to realize and have had to admit to myself (and now, to others) that I am a full blown, anal-retentive control freak.  As I stated in earlier posts, the act of letting go of people, things and situations into God’s hands and then leaving them there has been and is a constant struggle for me. Try as I might (and believe me, I have tried and tried and tried), I cannot change anyone, which frustrates me to no end.  There are times when I feel like such a failure because my words, actions, examples and prayers have done nothing to change the hearts, minds and attitudes of the people in my life, especially those who are closest to me. I’m well aware that only God is able to truly change the hardest and most stubborn of hearts, minds and souls of people, yet when no change seems to come, even after years and years, I tell myself that in order for God to be able to transform someone, they themselves have to sincerely WANT to change (sidebar of irony here: as I‘m writing this, my dog just let me know the mail had arrived and waiting for me was a solitary envelope with the words “I REALLY WANT TO CHANGE…SO, HELP ME, GOD” emblazoned across the front of it). But, as I sat at my kitchen table in the wee hours this morning, clutching my trusty pink bottle of Pepto and glaring at the sink, the story of Saul on the road to Damascus popped into my head.

Saul was certainly not looking to be changed the day the Lord stopped him dead in his tracks with a blinding light and a message that he was to go from being Saul, persecutor extraordinaire of those who were followers of The Way, to Paul, man on fire for Christ and deliverer of the Good News for the Gentiles. In fact, Saul was actually on his way to Damascus to wreak more havoc: 

‘Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. He went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem. As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me?” “Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked. “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” He replied. “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.” The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone. Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing. So they led him by the hand into Damascus. For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything. ‘ (Acts 9:1-9)

No, change was not on Saul’s agenda that day, but in the blink of an eye (no pun intended), he was instantly and completely transformed from the inside out by the Lord. A man who believed he had his life and the lives of many others completely under his command and control and felt no need or desire for change within himself, now found himself out of control: not only totally blind and dependent upon his fellow traveling buddies to lead him the rest of the way to Damascus, but totally under the Lord’s command and control now.

The point here is something that I keep forgetting -- 

ALL things are possible with God (Mark 10:27). 

NOTHING is too hard for Him (Jeremiah 32:17). 

Yes, not being in control and unable to change certain people in my life sure is frustrating for me. Yet I wonder how much more frustrating it is for God, watching me struggle all these years to learn to let go of each and every person, thing and situation into His more than capable hands and to leave them there, trusting Him to bring about the necessary change, perhaps with other Damascus moments. 

If I'm blind to His will for me,
Then I'll wait to be shown;
And like Paul, I'll have an answer too,
At the end of Damascus Road.

I've been walking down Damascus Road,
And I've carried many cares;
To the place where I am waiting now,
Till the Master tells me where to go from here.

I'm learning grace I thought I'd never have,
And how to wait upon the Lord;
The answer's sweet, I think it's just in sight,
At the end of Damascus Road. ~ Damascus Road, by The Perrys