Monday, July 15, 2013

Change

Change is a funny thing, isn’t it?  Life all around us is changing at every moment, but we don’t necessarily take the time to notice. Kids keep growing, jobs keep progressing; skills are being learned.  Anyone who knows me well knows that change is not my favorite.  When I say that it’s not my favorite, I usually resist change with all of my power.  I get mad and cry and try not to let it happen. 

I remember when I interviewed for a job right after high school and I didn’t get it.  I was the top three for the interview process, which to this day boggles my mind because this job was WAY out of my skill-set, but they saw something in my resume.  They called to tell me that the hired someone else and I was so discouraged!  I got a retail job instead and 2 months later, that same company called me back to say they had a different position if I was interested.  I took the job, meaning that I had to quit the retail position that I had been in for one month.  This new job was perfect for me!  I was a receptionist and I loved it!  Funny how God can take a discouraging piece of our lives and when we wait it out just a little bit, He can show us something so much better!

Change seems so easy when it’s change for the better.  Change can also seem so hard when the change doesn’t necessarily go our way.  It’s funny because this move to Texas is the biggest change that I’ve ever experienced in my life, yet I really didn’t fight it.  For whatever reason, I took the news of our move with a grace that I didn’t realize was in me.  I remember when I “had” to move into my grandparents’ house for a few months back in college and I fought my parents so much about it!  I didn’t want to leave my space and live all the way across the street!  What happened? I loved living with my grandparents!  It was great!

I’m beginning to learn that although change can be very hard and discouraging, there’s usually an up-side.  Just wait. God will reveal something better.  This big change to Texas definitely has its up-sides.  Michael has a job that he loves!  I love hearing him talk about a job that’s hard, yet a place where he finally feels that he’s found his calling.  For the first time in a long while, he talks about a job that he’s excited to go to in the morning.  We’ve found a church that we really like.  We still don’t have the relationships that we had at our home church in Omaha, but that’s starting to come. 

Shauna Niequist writes in her book, Bittersweet, “You know this doesn’t happen over and over in your life.  You don’t get that many experiences of friendships like the ones you all share.’ But I think we wanted to believe he was wrong, and that friendships like these would pop up all over our lives like dandelions.” 

This is such a hard aspect of this change!  We loved the friendships we left in Omaha and I pray that we can experience true friendship in our new home.  We’ve never been the “newbies” in a place before, so it’s been an interesting turn of events for us.  I now know what it’s like for someone new to come into a new city and watch others with their already developed friendships.  It’s hard.

Shauna writes about change in her book and I think she describes changes so well! 
“I know better than to believe that the changes are over, and I know better than to believe that the next ones will be easier, but I’ve learned the hard way that change is one of God’s greatest gifts and one of his most useful tools.  I’ve learned the hard way that change can push us, pull us, rebuke and remake us.  It can show us who we’ve become, in the worst ways, and also in the best ways.  I’ve learned that it’s not something to run away from, as though we could, and I’ve learned that in many cases, change is not a function of life’s cruelty but instead a function of God’s graciousness.”

Change is a funny thing.  It’s scary and new.  I went back to the recovery group on Thursday night and I listened to stories of women who have all experienced change that they would have never placed in their lives.  One thing stuck out very loud and clear through their stories.  As they were dealing with these scary changes, the majority of their marriages took a turn for the worst.  I couldn’t help but leave and think, “Thank you, God, for your graciousness to keep Michael and I connected through the midst of all of these changes.”  That is our continued prayer, that as our lives continue to change, that our marriage would thrive and we’d become closer than ever.  The next year will only continue to get harder, but I know that God has a plan for all of these upcoming changes.  Our lives are completely in his hands.  These changes are going to send our lives into waters so deep that we’ll only have our faith to keep our heads above the water. God knows.

-Carrie

2 comments:

  1. Good job, Lucy-Belle! Change is hard for most everyone, and I was always quite a bit like you: a big "no thanks" was my normal thought. But I'm proud of you and how you are embracing not only change, but even better, keeping God in the forefront, who orchestrated this change. He's got a plan and His plan is always good. Love and hugs ~ Mom

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  2. Just now seeing this post about change, and due to the 'change' that happened today in your plan, I wanted to share what God kept laying on my heart today. I did a lot of praying today. A lot. My baby sis is far away from Homaha, laying in a hospital bed, with all sorts of uncertainties swirling about. God kept reminding me that He is mighty to save. The words to the chorus of Mighty to Save kept resonating in my head through out the day when I felt discouraged:

    Savior he can move the mountains
    My God is mighty to save
    He is mighty to save
    Forever author of salvation
    He rose and conquered the grave
    Jesus conquered the grave

    So take me as you find me
    All my fears and failures
    Fill my life again

    I give my life to follow
    Everything i believe in
    Now i surrender.

    We serve a living, breathing, great, almighty God who can do ANYTHING. This change to us, has always been in His plan. What we view as a flaw in the landscape of life is something that is beautiful in the making to Him. There is a very good reason that your water broke this morning, and you may never know that reason until we meet Him in eternity. BUT, I do know He is using Mr. Josiah already in big ways. People are being touched by your story. Following you and Michael as you map out what faith and trust in Jesus look like. Your testimony is affecting lives for Jesus! The last line of the chorus of Mighty to Save...Now I surrender. God is bigger. God is stronger. Change is nothing to Him. He can move the mountains if he chooses. Keep giving it all to Him, as I know you are!! LOVE YOU SOOOO much!!

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