Change: Just Embrace It!

First comes change, then comes growth. When we don't adjust to the change we don't grow past it. 

I've learned this basic truth just recently. Listening for God's voice in a world that is constantly shouting at me is many times difficult. May it be the children, relationships, life responsibilities, etc., all these important things I deal with daily seem to be all shouting at me at once, "Take care of me!" 

Although many of the things I do enjoy very much (and others not as much), I've often wondered if my responsibilities occasionally block my ability to hear the "still small voice" I so desperately need to guide my life. And if so, I really want to know how do I successfully balance being a good steward with staying at the Master's feet? 

I posed my anxious questions to God recently, not expecting an immediate answer. However, I did find my answer (or rather it had found me) in that day's scripture reading. I read in Matthew 7:7 Jesus telling His disciples, "Ask, and t will be given to you, seek, and you will find; knock and it will be opened to you." That's when it him me. My asking God was my answer!

Things were getting hectic in my household. Between homeschooling four children, keeping up with daily household chores and church responsibilities, I felt like I was starting to drown under sea of responsibilities. My discomfort had forced me to stand still long enough to notice something I was unable to notice for months... things in my life had changed. 

As I took the time to contemplate my life, I noticed the cause of, and solution for every one of my so-called "problems" was... change. And I also noticed that throughout the years, when I brought my concerns and submitted them and myself to God, spiritual fruit soon sprouted!

God knows our human frame so well, which is why I believe that there is no coincidence in that when things get too hard for us to handle, we finally begin asking God the right questions.  

Whether I like it or not, God is going to use change a lot in my life. I figure the sooner I except it, the faster I'll grow.  I've noticed a pattern that seems to explains why change is so effective in my life.  

Change...

• grabs my attention
• forces me to stop and think about where my life is headed 
• and then causes me to ask questions of myself and, most importantly, of God. 

Could it be that God uses undesired change to get through the myriad of voices I have to struggle with in this world?

I still don't have all the answers, but I'm changing and bearing fruit. All for His glory and not my own. And it's not the answers, but change in me that matters.

So that is the journey I've embarked on. Not to be afraid of change, but to embrace it! Never forgetting, God loves me way too much to leave things the same!