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Contemplating Change today…

Change is as natural to life as breathing, so why hold our breath?

Change is loss, Change is gain.

People change: some flip minute by minute, others grow consistently and we get to walk with them through that change.

Relationships change: try treating your child like a 2 year old and see how that works! When children grow, they can also treat their parents like that 2 year old. In the case of dementia, it can be necessary. In other cases, well, not so much.

Locations change: not many children stay in the same neighborhood when they become adults, and it is fairly common in our society for retirees to relocate. In fact, I saw a flock of snowbirds headed north just the other day. Even when we stay in the same house for 30 years, our surroundings often change:
ever painted a room or rearranged the furniture? Re-landscaped?

Careers change: sometime we change careers, or sometimes the career changes.

Our bodies change: we become stronger in some ways and we become weaker in others. The muscles we use develop, the ones we don’t use atrophy.

Our hearts change: speaking of muscles which either grow or atrophy – lol. Seriously, how could they NOT change as we experience additional love and additional pain? These are also a part of life… it’s called “experience”, and is normal.

Often our friends change as our life changes: friendship is so often based on common ground. There are those friends that share common ground that will always be friends regardless of our living location. When we see them again, we pick up where we left off. But there are also those who are friends only when it is convenient, often this devolves into more of an acquaintance relationship.

Change is normal. But there are also parts of life that we like being consistent. What parent doesn’t love it when the kids all come home for a holiday?

Sometimes people want you to accept the change in them, without accepting change in you.

Resistance to change, to acceptance of change, feels like putting down that black weed barrier over a flower garden to keep the flowers from blooming. From the underside of the barrier, it feels like a trash bag. Granted, weed barrier is great for an area where you have weeds and are putting down mulch or gravel. But is an area that will never bloom.

Change… sometimes takes your breath away for a moment. I think of when God blessed us with this ranch and so very many opportunities we have experienced here… I am awed and breathless on many occasions. But this is different from holding our breath and closing our eyes and refusing to accept change.

Life changes… My visual is a wave… if we don’t get over it, it will get over us, this doesn’t mean we won’t get through it, but we will choke and sputter a lot more than necessary if we refuse to ride with it.

We also need to consider our anchors, what we are tied to… is it holding us under water so we can’t breath, or is it stabilizing? In a storm, an anchor can be a good thing, especially in a sheltered cove. However, being tied to a rock in a rocky cove, not so much.

Change – that ship has sailed, either grab a ticket and enjoy the cruise or stay in the lifeboat and let the waves beat against you.

Deeper Still

18 that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might[a] have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us. Hebrews 6:18-19

19 This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil
In the Tempest
13 When the south wind blew softly, supposing that they had obtained their desire, putting out to sea, they sailed close by Crete. 14 But not long after, a tempestuous head wind arose, called Euroclydon.[a] 15 So when the ship was caught, and could not head into the wind, we let her drive. 16 And running under the shelter of an island called Clauda,[b] we secured the skiff with difficulty. 17 When they had taken it on board, they used cables to undergird the ship; and fearing lest they should run aground on the Syrtis[c] Sands, they struck sail and so were driven. 18 And because we were exceedingly tempest-tossed, the next day they lightened the ship. 19 On the third day we threw the ship’s tackle overboard with our own hands. 20 Now when neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small tempest beat on us, all hope that we would be saved was finally given up.

21 But after long abstinence from food, then Paul stood in the midst of them and said, “Men, you should have listened to me, and not have sailed from Crete and incurred this disaster and loss. 22 And now I urge you to take heart, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. 23 For there stood by me this night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve, 24 saying, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must be brought before Caesar; and indeed God has granted you all those who sail with you.’ 25 Therefore take heart, men, for I believe God that it will be just as it was told me. 26 However, we must run aground on a certain island.”

27 Now when the fourteenth night had come, as we were driven up and down in the Adriatic Sea, about midnight the sailors sensed that they were drawing near some land. 28 And they took soundings and found it to be twenty fathoms; and when they had gone a little farther, they took soundings again and found it to be fifteen fathoms. 29 Then, fearing lest we should run aground on the rocks, they dropped four anchors from the stern, and prayed for day to come. 30 And as the sailors were seeking to escape from the ship, when they had let down the skiff into the sea, under pretense of putting out anchors from the prow, 31 Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, “Unless these men stay in the ship, you cannot be saved.” 32 Then the soldiers cut away the ropes of the skiff and let it fall off.

33 And as day was about to dawn, Paul implored them all to take food, saying, “Today is the fourteenth day you have waited and continued without food, and eaten nothing. 34 Therefore I urge you to take nourishment, for this is for your survival, since not a hair will fall from the head of any of you.” 35 And when he had said these things, he took bread and gave thanks to God in the presence of them all; and when he had broken it he began to eat. 36 Then they were all encouraged, and also took food themselves. 37 And in all we were two hundred and seventy-six persons on the ship. 38 So when they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship and threw out the wheat into the sea.

Shipwrecked on Malta
39 When it was day, they did not recognize the land; but they observed a bay with a beach, onto which they planned to run the ship if possible. 40 And they let go the anchors and left them in the sea, meanwhile loosing the rudder ropes; and they hoisted the mainsail to the wind and made for shore. 41 But striking a place where two seas met, they ran the ship aground; and the prow stuck fast and remained immovable, but the stern was being broken up by the violence of the waves.

42 And the soldiers’ plan was to kill the prisoners, lest any of them should swim away and escape. 43 But the centurion, wanting to save Paul, kept them from their purpose, and commanded that those who could swim should jump overboard first and get to land, 44 and the rest, some on boards and some on parts of the ship. And so it was that they all escaped safely to land. Acts 27

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