When Life and Seasons Change

The weather is changing, time to get out the spring clothes, put out the patio furniture cushions and fill the flower pots with color. A good change.

The clocks have been changed this weekend, confusing us once again. I woke up groggy because my body thinks it’s really an hour earlier, but in time, this change will be good too, as sunsets come later and days last a bit longer.

But there are change points in life that are not as cheery as flower pots and the timing of sunsets. Some changes are not welcome but happen anyway. Maybe you can think of a few. Yet, whether we like it or not, life if filled with changes. Since change is a fact of life, I suppose it’s time to learn how to “frame” all the change points in my life with faith.

I am currently doing “Breaking Free” by Beth Moore at church. Though I think the study is amazing, I am also finding it pretty hard. God is going to the “root” of some areas in my life that He wants to set me free in. And root work is not easy, it’s hard, and yes painful. This week,  the 8th lesson, I am finding a bit of a break through, and it has much to do with the way I am looking at the “change points” I currently find myself in.

Here is my current life status:

• Husband retiring in 3 weeks. He doesn’t know his next step….
• Both youngest kids moving out within next 2 weeks ( and they are the last to leave the nest) sniff, sniff….
• EMPTY nest.
• Oldest son getting married in a few months ( he is counting down the days)
• New daughter-in-love added to family tree ( this is the best change)
• Design4Living travel /admin assistant retires ( yikes…she did SO MUCH)
• My long time companion, Mrs. Computer, has decided to break down. She acts like she has dementia, as some days the computer works and others it doesn’t. I will have to soon send her to computer heaven, maybe this week….but she has been with me through the writing of 5 books…so sad, another change.
• Still adjusting to team staff changes at church, and those duty assignments, and my changed duty assignment.
• I have once again had to revamp my diet/exercise routine to fight coronary artery blockages ( exercising daily is harder than not eating french fries!)
• Learning how to please God and not people ( in my 50’s!) and this is a real change…I am a slow learner.

I can easily get in a funk as these changes press in on me. And, I have gone back and forth in my thoughts and emotions. But this week as I began the Breaking Free homework, I was liberated about life change. The lesson was not on life change, but God’s Word met me where I was at….

Today’s Truth: Psalm 136 ( get your bibles out some time today and read) This is the Psalm that says, His Love Endures Forever, over and over. You may remember it. In fact, it is the response to everything in the Psalm!

Psalm 136 is basically proclaiming the never ending love of God and reminding us that God deserves praise because his endless love never fails.

Beth had us, in the study reflect on variables in our life and write them out followed by God’s love guarantee. It was not only a valuable exercise, but it changed my mind completely about my current situations. My current version of Psalm 136 personalized would then look somethinhg like this:

• Husband retiring in 3 weeks. He doesn’t know his next step….God’s faithful loves endures forever!
• Both youngest kids moving out within next 2 weeks ( and they are the last to leave the nest) sniff, sniff…. God’s faithful love endures forever!
• EMPTY nest. God’s faithful love endures forever!
• Oldest son getting married in a few months ( he is counting down the days) God’s faithful love endures forever!
• Learning how to please God and not people ( in my 50’s!) and this is a real change…I am a slow learner. God’s faithful love endures forever!

I realize that my current change points might not sound like much to any of you. But all our OWN stuff is hard for each of us individually even if it doesn’t seem earth shattering to anyone else. The point is, in the middle of our Stuff that God is allowing to sift and change, His Love is There, His Love Endures, He is Faithful, He is Leading, He is in Charge, He is God.

Would you join me today in thanking God for His love.

Make your own list of changes or challenges and put the Psalm 136 response along side of it. It is more powerful than you can imagine. Truth sets us free. His love for us, is TRUTH!

Many blessings to you this new day,

Debbie