This week, my husband, Ben, went from a relaxed summer of fly fishing on the Guadelupe River and hiking in Colorado to a crazy week of teaching at the university. He also said goodbye to a fellow colleague and friend who will soon be moving out of state. So much change in one week! Maybe you have some change going on as well?
Change is inevitable for all of us. Change can be good and change can be hard. How can change be good? Change can bring new opportunities. Change helps us grow. Change helps us develop resilience. Change keeps us flexible. Change keeps us from monotony.
Yet, change can be hard. Change is stressful! We all have observed a myriad of changes during the last few years. COVID has and is still affecting all of us to some extent. Change can make us feel like we’ve lost control. Change can make us feel unclear about the future. We actually can fear change and how it will affect us personally.
In my life, I have experienced much change. To be honest, I love “sameness” and really appreciate sticking to an even keel life. Yet, I’ve made some significant moves in my life that weren’t always easy. There were times I didn’t like change, but eventually, I saw God do some pretty cool things because I was willing to change. God gave me a verse decades ago that truly was His guidance for me in the midst of change. It’s found in Isaiah 43:18-19:
“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.”
Let’s consider what we can learn about change through this verse:
We can be grateful for the past and anticipate the future. God basically says “Don’t live in the past!” Maybe you’ve heard people say “I wish it was like it used to be….” Or “I really prefer to stay in my comfort zone.” We too can get stuck in the past! Our comfort zones seem safe! Yet, when we’re grateful for the past while choosing to live in the present, we won’t get stuck!
God’s promise is for something new. God literally says “See, I am doing a new thing!” The most important word in this entire verse is SEE. God is clearly doing something new….now it springs up! See! He is working even when we don’t see that He is working! God calls us to trust Him even in what is not seen yet.
Be open to the new things in your life! How would your life change if you let go of your comfort zone? Opening ourselves up to new things doesn’t have to be hard. It’s usually more about us changing our personal perspective than about making a huge lifestyle change. When we are open to change, we actually become change agents! We help others change too!
How are you currently experiencing a change in your life? How are you doing with those changes? May you see, really see, that God is doing a new thing in your life.
Yet, change can be hard. Change is stressful! We all have observed a myriad of changes during the last few years. COVID has and is still affecting all of us to some extent. Change can make us feel like we’ve lost control. Change can make us feel unclear about the future. We actually can fear change and how it will affect us personally.
In my life, I have experienced much change. To be honest, I love “sameness” and really appreciate sticking to an even keel life. Yet, I’ve made some significant moves in my life that weren’t always easy. There were times I didn’t like change, but eventually, I saw God do some pretty cool things because I was willing to change. God gave me a verse decades ago that truly was His guidance for me in the midst of change. It’s found in Isaiah 43:18-19:
“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.”
Let’s consider what we can learn about change through this verse:
We can be grateful for the past and anticipate the future. God basically says “Don’t live in the past!” Maybe you’ve heard people say “I wish it was like it used to be….” Or “I really prefer to stay in my comfort zone.” We too can get stuck in the past! Our comfort zones seem safe! Yet, when we’re grateful for the past while choosing to live in the present, we won’t get stuck!
God’s promise is for something new. God literally says “See, I am doing a new thing!” The most important word in this entire verse is SEE. God is clearly doing something new….now it springs up! See! He is working even when we don’t see that He is working! God calls us to trust Him even in what is not seen yet.
Be open to the new things in your life! How would your life change if you let go of your comfort zone? Opening ourselves up to new things doesn’t have to be hard. It’s usually more about us changing our personal perspective than about making a huge lifestyle change. When we are open to change, we actually become change agents! We help others change too!
How are you currently experiencing a change in your life? How are you doing with those changes? May you see, really see, that God is doing a new thing in your life.
The song, In Jesus Name, by Katy Nichols, seemed to resonate with me when I think about change. He's the God of possible! Take a listen: https://www.youtube.
Nancy Abbott is the Chaplain of the YMCA of Greater San Antonio.
Nancy Abbott is the Chaplain of the YMCA of Greater San Antonio.
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