I’m from the north, where the trees change color in the fall and dot the landscape with the most vibrant Crayola colors. I haven’t lived up north for a couple decades so when I have the chance to visit the northern states in the fall, anticipation wells up within me. I snap picture after picture, trying to capture the intense shades that dot the horizon. I pull the car over and take photo after photo of individual trees, and vistas with an entire row of trees of every fall color. I never grow tired of it. I may take 50 photos of orange trees, but each one is different.
I will be very honest with you: I don’t typically like change. It often invokes fear and hesitance within me. I like to be forewarned, able to plan and anticipate, and in short, be in control. But that can be problematic. Within that resistance to change can be the spirit of self-sufficiency, which opposes what God desires is for us: to be reliant on Him. Another problem with being an individual, who likes to be in control, is that there is no way to anticipate every “what if?” scenario. In trying to do so, it can deplete us of energy, and rob of us of the joy of the moment. It can cause us to worry and be afraid.
Change will come, whether we want it to or not. The trees in the north have no choice about whether or not to change their color or drop their leaves. All they can do is to surrender. In the seasons of change in our life, we can fight against it, but it will still happen. The best thing to do is just surrender to God and his working to make the change beautiful.
Change can be very positive and useful, however. Just think about it. If change had never happened, we still wouldn’t have electricity or running water, and I wouldn’t be typing these words on a computer. There can be freedom, however, when we allow God to direct change, and be the author and perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 2:2).
What is God calling you to change?
