New Things Are Changing

Change...

Not loose change or a little change in my pocket...

Change...

It is not a word that makes too many Top Five lists.  It isn't a word that causes uncontrollable squeals accompanied by jumping up and down.  It does not put a smile on too many faces.  Change often is the word we associate with the "UN-Comfort Zone".

And yet, there is change that is good.  If you have a good stylist, changing your hair is usually good.  If you are trying to be healthy and you have to change to a lower pant size...good.  And depending on your situation:  changing jobs, changing your address (especially if it is a beach house), changing your underwear, changing your attitude, changing your friends...

Anything new or being done for the first time is change, and it isn't necessarily the panic evoking kind.  For example (because I wouldn't want to leave you guessing):

Marriage.

Childbirth.

In my case, childbirth #2...Twenty-one (21!) months later.

First home purchase.

First big vacation as a family - the take an airplane kind. 

Okay...well, maybe mild to moderate panic.

But those new things are exciting.  They are blessings.  They are things you anticipated for months, or maybe years, and then they are coming to fruition, and it is new, and it is change, and it is life.

I am reflecting on all this because - I started a NEW job last week! And I have termed the last five weeks "The Month of Kari" - and it is coming to an end and something is changing, and it is new, and exciting, and a blessing, and another unexpected penny on the ground that you pick up and toss into your...change.

I look back on "The Month of Kari" and it feels so good to let the weariness slide off.  I did one big thing I wanted and had always wanted to do...that crazy dream to prepare and work the church Thrift Sale.  And it was a two-week, and 12 hour day that I would not otherwise have gotten to do.  It was something new for me and I did my best to make the most of every minute!  I have not been deliriously tired in a long time...way to go church family!

So I am experiencing this new job, and new co-workers, a new coffee routine, a new way to use Excel (oh Mylanta), a new commute, and a new window to look out of.  I can tell you all that God is so amazingly good.  He aligns, affirms, and waits for us to wear ourselves down like a two year old.

My devotions are reminding me that nothing that happens to us or around us is random or chaotic if we rely on God's timing.  It is not our job to figure out how He is going to do it, we just have to trust that He will. It made me think of a sermon my James Tedder on Sermons4kids.com (ironic...I know):

Have you ever stopped to pick up a penny lying on the ground? Well, let me tell you a little story about picking up pennies. 

Once a friend of mine and his wife were invited to spend the weekend at my friend’s employer's home. They were very nervous about the weekend. The boss was very wealthy, with a fine home on the waterway, and cars costing more than their house. The first day and evening went well, and Arlene, my friend’s wife, was delighted to have this rare glimpse into how the very wealthy live. The employer was quite generous as a host, and took them to the finest restaurants. Arlene knew she would never have the opportunity to indulge in this kind of extravagance again, so she was enjoying herself immensely.

As the three of them were about to enter an exclusive restaurant that evening, the boss was walking slightly ahead of my friend. He stopped suddenly, looking down on the pavement for a long, silent moment. 

Arlene wondered if she was supposed to pass him. There was nothing on the ground except a single darkened penny that someone had dropped and a few cigarette butts. Still silent, the man reached down and picked up the penny. He held it up and smiled, then put it in his pocket as if he had found a great treasure. How absurd! What need did this man have for a single penny? Why would he even take the time to stop and pick it up? 

Throughout dinner, the entire scene nagged at her. Finally, she could stand it no longer. She casually mentioned that her daughter once had a coin collection, and asked if the penny he had found had been of some value. A smile crept across the man's face as he reached into his pocket for the penny and held it out for her to see. She had seen many pennies before! What was the point of this?'Look at it.' He said. 'Read what it says.' She read the words ‘United States of America’ 'No, not that; read further.’ ‘One cent?’ ‘No, keep reading.’ ‘In God we Trust?’ ‘Yes!’ ‘And?’ ‘And if I trust in God, the name of God is holy, even on a coin. Whenever I find a coin I see that inscription. It is written on every single United States coin, but we never seem to notice it! God drops a message right in front of me telling me to trust Him? Who am I to pass it by? When I see a coin, I pray, I stop to see if my trust IS in God at that moment. I pick the coin up as a response to God; that I do trust in Him. For a short time, at least, I cherish it as if it were gold. I think it is God's way of starting a conversation with me. Lucky for me, God is patient and pennies are plentiful!” 

It is easy for us to get so caught up in the ways of the world so mush we forget that God is always there right beside us We just need to trust in Him and allow Him to take care of our each & every need. The Psalmist tells us to, “Be Still and Know that I am God.” Sometimes we just need to stop our busy lives & feel God’s presence. Of course sometimes we need a little reminder, even if it is as insignificant as a penny lying on the ground...

May we take a new approach to "change" this week, because all the changes that make our lives a tidbit weary deserve an "In God We Trust".

Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.