For everything that happens in life—there is a season, a right time for everything under heaven, Ecclesiastes 3:1 The Voice
Last night at Bible Study we talked about change overload that most of us are experiencing. Things are not only changing, they are changing at a rapid pace. And although change is inevitable, too many changes in too many areas of our lives to quickly cause us to overload. It reminded me that although different and more intense, we can get through it. It reminded me of a time that because of multiple changes in every area of my life, I was on overload. I like to have tissue boxes that match the décor and color scheme of the room they’re in. I’d go to the tissue aisle and find the box I use for each room. So that day I went to the isle as usual for a quick grab and to my horror, they changed the boxes! How could they do that! I liked the ones I carefully chose, I don’t have time to make new choices, I don’t see any that will be as perfect as the ones I have!
Then I had an “Aha moment” as I found myself on my knees in the paper goods aisle digging through boxes to find my old standbys. A calming voice within softly said, “get a grip Colette they are only tissues, the box really doesn’t have anything to do with the purpose of the tissue itself, now does it? As I got up off my knees, I looked around to see if anyone witnessed my breakdown over a tissue box. I calmly found the ones that had the same colors I needed and put them in the cart. I glanced at my watch, I just spent fifteen minutes of my life that I will never get back, trying to keep things as they were, knowing everything around us and in us is constantly changing.
The truth is as much as we say change is ok, it’s really not. Change happens whether we like it or not. We may not like that we’re once again living in winter. Those of us over 50 really don’t like that gravity is taking over our bodies. We don’t like it when our favorite restaurant changes its menu or goes out of business. But all these things happen even without our permission. Today’s Scripture reminds us that life is seasonal. We have the Summers, Falls, Winters and Springs over and over during our lifetime. The real choice then is not whether change comes, because it will, but how we respond to it when it does. We can obstinately hold on to the past and what we’re familiar with. That place where we keep holding on to what we think is best, while God’s trying to give us something better. He does remind us in Isaiah 43:19 that He wants to do new things in our lives. But most times the reason we don’t want to move past what we know, is because of the fear of the unknown, that’s when we need to remember the rest of that verse for it tells us He will make the way, even when there seems to be no way.
Stop looking back and trying to change what you have no power to change. Grasp the freeing truth that we can’t change the past, good or bad no matter the cause. Whether it be from circumstances beyond our control or through our own personal choices. Allow God to show you your purpose in a new way. See as simple as it seems, every time I go past that new tissue box it reminds me, it may not be what I wanted, but it does look nice and when I need a tissue the purpose for the box is known and appreciated. Let God give you a new beginning whether it be in a big way like a season of life or in small ways that are at the right time every day and experience God’s best.
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