Change, like the seasons is inevitable. These buds will become flowers whether they want to or not.
I have never been a huge fan of change. I suppose lots of Southerners feel the same. We often take the, “Don’t fix it if it ain’t broke attitude.” Sometimes it’s a good one. In my humble opinion, things like children saying “yes sir and yes ma’am,”and saying Grace at meals should never change.
Other things like technology, are bound to change whether I like it or not. My sweet husband bought me a new laptop for our anniversary. I told him that he should get a new laptop and let me keep mine, but he insisted that he wanted me to have the new one. I was so excited and fairly glowed, I’m sure, with his thoughtful gift.
A mere twenty-four hours later, I’m ready to kill him for his thoughtfulness. At this writing, I hate Windows 8. It’s busy. Icons pop up all over the place for no apparent reason. I have to sign into my computer every time I turn it on. (I guess Microsoft is concerned that my dog may read my unprotected blog.) My printer won’t work and I don’t have Windows Office pre-loaded. Thank you so much Mr. Gates.
My old laptop was three years old; ancient in our world of throw-away technology, but it was running my old friend Vista with no trouble at all.
I’ll bet you that in a month, I will love my new computer as well as its operating system and I simply won’t be able to believe that I could have lived without it. But, today I am frustrated!
Don’t we find most life changes frustrating and intimidating? Whether we are trying to eat healthier, give up smoking, start a new job, retire from a current job, have a baby, get married or (you fill in the blank here). Change is rarely easy, but it’s one of the few guarantees we have in life. Nothing ever stays exactly the same.
But, when you think about it, that really is a good thing. Our goal throughout our entire lives should be growth. If we are growing, we can’t be stagnant. We are perpetually in progress like the Camellia buds in my picture. Even in winter, when nature appears dormant, there is still internal activity going on.
And so it is with us too. Even when we have a sedentary period, we can still grow. Growth doesn’t always have to include action. It could include contemplation and reflection. Sometimes it requires some rest like the trees in winter, but growth should always continue.
We should strive to be more like Christ and answer our call to serve until we take our last breath. We should strive to grow, knowing that change is inevitable and trusting that God has a plan and that we are equipped with what we need to participate in that plan, whether we know it our not.
Keeping this in mind, I won’t toss my shiny new computer onto the floor. I will take some time to learn to love Windows 8, (picture me saying this through gritted teeth.) And most importantly, I’m going to try to learn to embrace change. Who’s with me? I’d love to hear from you.
Have an awesome day!
Wendy 🙂