I Hate Change

The righteous will flourish like a palm tree,
 they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon. (Psalm 92:12 [emphasis mine])

Anything that grows, changes.

Change requires faith. Faith to believe that God is in control and that His plans may not make sense to us, but make perfect sense to Him. I hate change. Admittedly, my faith can be quite weak at times. I am perfectly happy living day in and day out in the comfort of monotony. Red lights flash and sirens scream their shrill warnings if I wander outside of familiarity.

My husband Paul is an attorney. He is a good attorney, a Christian attorney. I know, quite the oxymoron, isn’t it? This week he is moving his office from his envied spot on Main Street in the quaint city of Placerville. Established in the 1800’s, this California gold rush town is known for it’s country charm and relaxed atmosphere. For six years, Paul has been the Atticus Finch, (Gregory Peck’s character from the book/movie To Kill a Mockingbird), to folks in these parts. I can’t begin to count how many times someone would walk in without an appointment, ask my husband legal questions and leave his office, my husband never once demanding payment. Would you believe, one client even paid my husband in apples?

It surprised me when tears welled up in my eyes this morning as I witnessed a gentleman outside, at our request, climb up on a ladder and take down my husband’s large office sign, his shingle. My tiny muscle of faith immediately being stretched. At the same time my heart was reminded that God’s plans for us are always sifted through his blood-stained hands of love.

Like us, are you feeling like the Israelites, when the cloud of the Lord moved them on? (“By day the LORD went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way…”Exodus 13:21) It is difficult to accept change and even harder to move when things are good. If we are sincerely trusting our all-knowing God, we will not fear, we will step out with confidence. Regardless of the unfamiliar I am feeling right now, I know that it is all a part of the plan God has for my life, to make me more like his precious son. A dear friend told me this; “Change is hard, but without it, we are unchanged.” So very true…