When Change is Thrust Upon Us

learning to fly

“It may be hard for an egg to turn into a bird: it would be a jolly sight harder for it to learn to fly while remaining an egg. We are like eggs at present. And you cannot go on indefinitely being just an ordinary, decent egg. We must be hatched or go bad.”~C. S. Lewis

My son Josh graduates from high school this Friday. Thank God he’s not leaving the nest, as well. I don’t think I could handle that much change all at once. I’m definitely not ready for him to fly away! J

At times I think—if only he could be a toddler again for one day. Sounds like a good plan, but life doesn’t work that way. And would we want it to? Some days I’d answer with a resounding “Yes!” but then I realize God gives us the fortitude to go through life once—not twice. And it’d be pretty selfish to wish someone else’s life would be put on hold to satisfy our longings.

So why is transition so difficult? We know when we have children, their years under our wings are limited. But we often wish for them to “get grown” while trying to slow them down at the same time.

C.S. Lewis has a point. We balk at change and rail at monotony. We can’t have it both ways. But when change is thrust upon us, a practical solution is to stay busy.

So…

 

Since Josh is graduating and our daughter Lindsay is returning home for an extended weekend, we decided to do a long-overdue deck remodel. Our Australian Shepherd Dixie had claimed the patio chairs as her own, so we replaced the old patio set, our old grill, and added a water feature and deck plants. 

These pics don’t do it justice, but these are the “after” pics. I wasn’t smart enough to think to take “before” pics.

 

 

We left Dixie one old chair to keep her off the new set.  

 

While change is often bittersweet, we can revel in the splendor of the greatest change we could ever experience—when we repent of our old ways and accept rebirth through Jesus as our Lord and Savior.

“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” 2 Corinthians 5:17 KJV

Praise God!

I heard this song for the first time this week. It fits well with the theme of change. I hope you're as blessed by it as I was.

I’m all about encouragement, so this week I’m asking you, my readers, to share some. What ideas or favorite scripture passages do you have to encourage others going through transition? Perhaps the change is not as happy as graduation but something that leaves one feeling helpless like the death of a loved one or moving to a new city. If you’ve “been there, done that,” share an encouraging comment for those in the throes of change.

And if you have a prayer request or praise report, I’d love to hear from you. E-mail me any confidential requests. Would you take a moment to visit Sgt. Jesse McCart’s page at the top of the blog (new photos added), as well as the Mission page which has the latest opportunity for you to help out? The biggest way you can help, as always, is prayer.

God bless,

Laura ✞

©Laura Hodges Poole