Clarity

To every [thing there is] a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up [that which is] planted; A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace. Eccl 3:1-8 (KJV) I can't say I dislike change. As a matter of fact I usually like it. I think that stems from moving constantly my first 10 years. I never started school in the same place twice, and sometimes I was in two schools during a year. Got me used to change I guess. As an adult, I didn't move often, so I took my desire for change to the classroom. I was always looking for ways to change my classroom and instruction, always looking for a better way. If something didn't work,I'd find something that did. Constantly changing things. Our lives are like that. Whether we want it to or not, whether we like it or not. In Ecclesiastes,Solomon wrote the passage above showing how much our lives can change. There is a time to experience almost everything. Sometimes, though, we just don't want to experience a particular thing at a particular time. Other times, God leads us to go through a seemingly unbearable time that we NEVER want to see. One of the most meaningful Christian songs I have heard is "Blessings" by Laura Story. It is playing in the background as I write this. She tells us God loves us much too much to allow us a "yes" for each prayer: "All the while you hear each spoken need Yet love us way too much to give us lesser things. Cause what if your blessings come through raindrops What if your healing comes through tears? What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You're near? What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise?" This is the song I return to each time a change comes up that I don't care for much. If I really listen to the words, all of them, I am reminded that He always has my best in mind. My experience has proven that as well. It is just something my human mind forgets on occasion. In chapter 11 of "Fearless", Max Lucado points out a huge change handed the disciples at the end of Jesus' life. This wonderful Leader, this Savior, who had been with them, taught them, loved them was going to die. Of course they were overcome with emotion. They wanted no part of this change. Nothing worse could happen in their minds. I'm sure if I had been there I would be weeping and moaning in a corner as I have over comparably minor changes in my life. And yet....without the change of Jesus' death, we would be lacking the very gift which makes our lives in Christ possible. John 14:16 says: "And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to help you and be with you forever." And John 14:26: " But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you." The Holy Spirit. What a gift! With that one act, Christ made tragedy turn to triumph. The disciples would never be alone, and neither are we. The Holy Spirit resides in each of us who have chosen to follow Christ to guide, admonish, love, and protect us every day. No matter what change we go through, the Advocate, the Counsellor, the Friend , the Helper, the Strengthener resides right WITHIN us to give us hope. Some of us have to face changes that are almost unbearable. What about those who have had to face unspeakable change: parents of school children who didn't make it out of the school collapse in Moore, Oklahoma - victims of violent crime - loved ones of those murdered or disappeared, the list goes on and on. Why do such things happen and why does a loving God allow them? Lucado expresses my understanding of this difficult question very well. We see life through an earthly perspective, and do not easily understand a purpose for these events. Lucado tells us God sees them differently: "They do(serve a purpose) if we see them from an eternal perspective. What makes no sense in this life will make perfect sense in the next." (p.132) He makes the example of a child in the womb. Everything that happens to that fetus on a daily basis is equipping it for its earthly life. Some of the things developed are not used at all before birth....eyes, nose, tongue....none of those serve a purpose then. But after birth, their purpose is obvious. Same thing for us. Those agonizing changes or events we go through seem to serve no purpose now. But eternally, those same events are equipping us for the world to come: 2 Corinthians 4:17 - "These little troubles are getting us ready for an eternal glory that will make all our troubles seem like nothing." Wow. I don't know about you, but finding all those answers will be so wonderful! And because I believe the Word, I know I will one day understand it all. So I can hobble through changes, even bad ones, knowing I have the gift of the Holy Spirit to help me, and that one day my Father will show me how the pieces fit together. And I will see the whole picture, in panoramic view, and with perfect clarity. And that will be a change I welcome!

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