“Change is a part of life.” This is a phrase we all hear throughout our lives. And even though it is often repeated without much thought, it does not lessen the truth of the message. We likely heard it from our parents and teachers and we have likely uttered it to our children, friends and co-workers. It is funny that while we all know this to be true, there are seasons of life when we are freshly reminded of the true impact of this phrase.
This phrase hit home this week as we dropped off our oldest son at college for the first time. I have friends who have already gone through this in years past; however, it was not something I had given a lot of thought. This year we have had many friends who are also going through this for the first time - in fact half of the pastors at LWF dropped off kids at college for the first time this month. I knew it would be hard and it would be strange, but it did not seem real until the time arrived.
I don’t think it really started sinking in until the night before he left and we tried to explain to our 3 year old daughter that she needed to give him a big hug because he wouldn’t be home the next night and that he would be at college for a while. Even though he is only 25 minutes away, our family dynamic was changing. The normal rhythms of life would be different. In fact our youngest daughter processed it after he left by saying, “Now I have 2 brothers and 2 sisters,” while holding up 2 fingers. We quickly reassured her that she still has 3 brothers, one is just at college right now. It is a lot for a 3 year old mind to process. She later asked if Ezra was still her brother. While her statements and questions brought some laughter to the house, they also highlighted the changes that were taking place. We are also thankful for FaceTime and the ability to remind Haddie of her oldest brother.
I have been thinking through all of this and how sometimes I struggle to handle the change I see in life. At times I feel like my youngest daughter trying to understand and process change. Change due to growth and maturing is good, even though it doesn’t always feel like it. However, in the midst of all of the change there is One who is always constant - God. The truth of His steadfast love and presence enables us to get through change and hardship. This morning I read Psalm 62 where David writes:
For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him. He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken. On God rests my salvation and my glory; my mighty rock, my refuge is God.
Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us. Selah. Psalms 62:5-8
The world around us is continually changing, whether you drop a child off at college or not. However, God is constant. He is our Rock; our Salvation; our Fortress; our Refuge. No matter what is going on around us, we can come to Him. It is not enough just to know these things mentally, we need to follow the action step laid out by David in verse 8 : “Trust in Him at all times.” We need to continue to trust in God; this is an ongoing process. We must continue to trust in Him. Not only that, we should pour our hearts out before Him. He knows us and knows our hearts, but it does us good to confess and pour out all that is going in our hearts. As we pour out these things, we will find that He is a refuge for us. We can come to Him and rest in Him. No matter if the change in our life is bringing joy or sorrow or some of both, we need to trust in Him and pour out our hearts. We are not more spiritual or stronger if we pretend that we do not struggle with some changes. Maturity and wisdom come as we honestly give it over to God and allow Him to work. Praise God for His love for us and for the fact that He is our hope. He will never abandon us or let us down.
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