Intentional Outlook: Changes

FACT:  Change is a natural and necessary part of life.

FACT:  I don't always handle changes (especially unpleasant and unexpected changes) as well as I would like to.

FACT:  God is completely unfazed by change, and is always totally in control.  

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There is a LOT going on this... well, this entire month, really.  I feel like I'm finally settling into my new job, and I'm definitely loving it!  Chaela and I are settling into our short-term apartment, and haven't butted heads over anything silly.  Foreign students (French and Chinese) are beginning to arrive with their host families at my church, and I'm trying to remember to take this into account as I teach Sunday school.  Two beautiful weddings have taken place in this month, joining my friends in marriage (Jamin with Madhu, Kristen with Matt).  I've finally broken through some walls I started putting up almost two years ago (praise God for His great help here!) which is allowing me to develop better relationships (finally!).

One of the biggest things right now (right up there with that last point listed) is that Mom and Dad are leaving tomorrow to begin a new chapter!  They will be in South Carolina for a couple months, then go to New York and maybe another place or two before heading back here to the Springs.  In between studying, working, and everything else, Chaela and I have been up at their house as often as we could make it to help them pack up and move things to a storage unit.  Whew!  So much to do there...  But of course the point here is that Mom and Dad's move is a bit of a change.

Who am I kidding?  This is a rather BIG change!  Good gracious, it almost feels like my parents are moving out, and now we're both "empty nesters"!  Weird.  

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The intentional part of my outlook today came to mind while I was glancing over my blog posts.  Every single one of them that was written concerning an activity was written about an unusual or unexpected event.  Changing houses, going to a range with Dad, Chaela, and friends, taking care of my cousin, Gavin, Dad's last deployment, traveling, etc.  They all have something to do with change.

The things that don't change - or change so gradually that their change goes nearly unnoticed - are not necessarily boring.  They are, however, just the everyday stuff.  They're the mundane, not-easy-to-write-about stuff.

Thank God for change and it's ability to keep things interesting, to keep things improving, and for the assurance that even at its craziest, scariest, and most incredible, God has a perfect plan that will be worked through that change.

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FACT:  Change is interesting, at the very least.

FACT:  Change can be good and beneficial.

FACT:  God does not change.  He is above changeability and is in control of it.  I don't need to be in control of change myself, because I can rely on an trust in Him!