Change is a'comin...

CHANGE happens... OFTEN! And no, I don't mean quarters and dimes (however, that kind of change is nice). Our boys are constantly changing. Their baby features have all but disappeared. No more pudgy, squishy faces. Rather, my eight year old has a nice defined face, with young man features. Even Ben, our four year old, no longer looks like a toddler.

Their appetites change from week to week. Some weeks they eat like teenagers, where there is not enough food on the table to satisfy their growling stomachs. Other weeks, they eat like birds, and act as if they dislike everything (except for goodies. They seem to always like them).

Seasons change. Our bodies change (for the good or bad). I change the way our rooms look, moving furniture around for something different. TV shows change, as well as our preferences on what TV shows we should watch. And, in our house, our preferences change around the 4th season of a show.

There are countless changes throughout daily life that we take in stride. I love the kind of changes that keep me from getting bored. I embrace many changes as a fun adventure. But then there are those changes that send my world into a temporary upheaval. Those are the changes that somehow sideswipe me every time. It may be a control thing. Typically the changes that send me into a tizzy are the changes I can't really control. I have no say about how they are going to happen, when they are going to happen. Rather, they're dropped in my lap and I am left with 2 options... Option 1: Panic. Option 2: Trust.

When faced a couple weeks ago with a significant change that would be rolling out over a few weeks, I found myself panicking. I mean, I was totally freaking out. I sobbed for days. I couldn't see past what I was feeling at that very moment. And I can tell you that what I was feeling at that moment was as far away from trust as could be. The change that was coming seemed almost catastrophic to me, until I decided to stop panicking. I made the decision to go with Option B.

I needed to pull myself together and TRUST God. I needed to trust the people God has placed in my life to help me process the change. I needed to trust that God's plan was better than mine (ever notice this is a continuous battle for me?).

So, I began to look at the change differently. My perspective needed to change from "it's the end of the world" to "it's a new adventure". Although I am still sad about some of the changes that will be happening, I am now also able to see some of the amazing things that will come with the changes. I can now see that it's going to allow for new and different type relationships. It's going to allow for me to truly be the person God has called me to be.

I am always amazed at how shocked I am when big changes happen. You would think that I would be used to them. I mean, for the almost 10 years Kevin and I have been married, change has been around every corner. What also shocks me is how often I lose sight of how God has everything planned out and I don't need to worry about any of it.

We can't avoid changes. They happen. Often. What we CAN do is remember to keep our focus on Him. To change our "end of the world" perspective when necessary and see the amazing adventure that we are embarking on. Change helps us. It makes us trust Him. It helps us to grow and mature.

As much as I dislike surprise changes, I need to remember that there is no avoiding them. What I can do is not give myself 2 options... Rather, I can just TRUST from the get-go. It would certainly save me a lot of time and energy!