3 Ways We Experience Change

Today I’m thinking about changes. I feel like I should be singing a song about it.

Granted, they aren’t significant changes in the eyes of some, but it feels like right now is a great season of change in our lives. Sometimes we go through those don’t we? Sometimes it seems as though we are in seasons of change more than we are in seasons of rest.

But this is one of our seasons of change as a family. We continue to change our hearts and behaviors through the work we put into creating a good, Christ-like home for our children.

Our pastor is moving in just over a month. Which brings to us a new pastor. A new change.

One of my best friends has moved hours away (and she is doing great and enjoying being close to her mom–we are glad for that!). This is a big change from being within 20 minutes of each other for 16 years!

To be honest, as emotional as it was for my best friend to move house, it was for the best. Plus she found an amazing property by looking through real estate websites like Auction.com.

She actually managed to secure a foreclosed home in Texas at a great price. Foreclosure homes are often available at a better price than alternative real estate opportunities so if you are in the process of moving house, I would definitely suggest taking a look online to see if there are any foreclosed properties in your area.

Anyway, this is the last full week of school for our kids, and in a couple of weeks we will be changing from school-time season into summertime season. (I have been busily preparing for the ruckus that will be our house over summer break.)

We got new phones (not a big change, but a great one–woohoo!).

I recently lost 12 pounds. Which came with a change in diet in exercise.

I want to get my hair cut. Significantly. For many this may not be news, but for someone whose hair reaches down to her behind, this is drastic.

Kids are growing out of shoes, growing out of clothes, growing into new opportunities.

We can approach change in two ways:

1) We can be like the donkey who decides he is not moving any further, plopping his rear to the ground. We won’t budge. We resist change. We fight it kicking and screaming until we are dragged into it. Then we sit there moping for a while until that change becomes our constant.

2) We can be like the ostrich who sticks his head in the ground, knowing that change will come regardless but who is unwilling to emotionally deal with the change. When we finally pull our heads out of the ground, we continue on as though nothing has happened.

3) Or we can be like the butterfly, who gracefully endures change from egg to caterpillar to butterfly. Before, we can be cute, fat, tiny, fluffy, scary, or prickly. But regardless of where we are before change, the butterfly allows itself to grow and improve, emerging gracefully from change better, sweeter, more beautiful.

Change is going to happen whether we want it to or not. People are going to move. Everyone gets older. We lose weight, gain weight, cut our hair, and grow it out. We meet new people. We can either fight it, ignore it, or allow change to work in us to make us more beautiful. What will you do with your change?

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