Scraps

Change, I don’t like it much.  As stressful as the status quo may be, change could make it worse.  Change always brings even more stress along with it.  I’m not about to say that I have no use for change, however.

There has been times in my life when change is temporary and planned.  I welcome those changes such as a vacation, the change of seasons, or retreating to a special place or activity.

When change is permanent, however, it becomes the enemy of the status quo and people like me who want to control every aspect of their lives.  “Why can’t I just go back to the way things were?”

I recently was tasked with trying to help a loved one cope with a life altering change in her life.  One day she was living independently, surrounded by an accumulation of belongings, content to be visited by a few faithful friends.  Now, after a two week hospital stay she has transitioned to a nursing home, uncertain if this is a temporary or permanent change.

In an effort to prepare her for the worst case scenario, I tried to use reason to communicate to her.  Examples of marriage, childbirth, and the death of a spouse came to mind.  Each event suddenly altered life and you couldn’t go back. This could be one of those times.

The uncertainty of change of this magnitude causes one to reorder priorities. Things we weren’t motivated to do before become necessary or even vital. Cherished possessions become a meaningless burden.  We seek to bargain our way back to the status quo.

Christians are given a grappling hook the moment they enter a personal relationship with their Savior, Jesus Christ.  We can attach ourselves to someone greater, stronger, mightier, and more merciful than ourselves, our situation, or our fate.  Maybe that’s why the song, “Trust in You,” by Lauren Daigle resonates so well with my heart in moments like this one.

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“Trust In You”