Change

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." ~ Jeremiah 29:11

 Change. Six little letters make up that word, but that word can shake us to our core with fear. They will cause us to lose sleep, not eat, or worse yet, over eat. They make us cling to what and who makes us comfortable. We rebel against it, often times. Change means 'new'....it means we have to learn something new, meet someone new, move somewhere new, or a little of all of the above. It could mean we have to leave those we know and love.....But what if change could be a good thing? What if making a change meant your family was put in a better place financially? What if it meant your children could go to a better school? What if it meant you could further your education or actually use your education? What if it was just a chance to do something new?!

I've been thinking about change for the last week or so. Many of our friends are in seasons of change or rebelling against change, even as I type this. Whether it's an upcoming move (again), a new job, a new baby, a new semester, or a new boss, change is all around. This past weekend was when I decided to write about change in this blog. As I told you last time, my in laws came down for the weekend. I couldn't help but smile as I thought about the changes that Adam and I have been through with them. They used to come to Camp Lejeune to see...well, us. Now they come to our house to see....the grand babies. We just happen to be there! :) That's okay, it's as it should be. But seriously, the weekend visits used to be filled with shopping for me and the MIL and movies and household projects for Adam and the FIL. Now the weekend visits are filled with presents from Mimi and Paw Paw to the kids and 30 blissful minutes to ourselves for me and Adam! My brother in law is en route as I type to Tennessee to start his new job. He's been in Casper, Wyoming for the last couple of years and has taken this new job in TN. Kyle's one that's never been afraid of change, even more so than Adam and myself. 

Think about a season of change in your life, any season of change.  How did you handle it? Were you scared? Were you excited? Did you shut down and block it out all together? Did you rebel against it until you couldn't anymore? The verse above is my favorite in all of the Bible. It's one that's always given me comfort--even when I couldn't wrap my head around the finances, logistics, or 'newness' of the change I was facing, this verse calmed me. The verse doesn't say that God will figure out the plan for your life or that He'll wing it as you go along. It says 'I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and to give you hope and a future.' It says that He's already there and preparing the way before you. This just requires faith, trust, and patience (that last one is a topic for another day!). 

I've told Adam from the time we got married that I'd go anywhere the USMC sent us. When he got out, I told him, I'd go anywhere he got a job. I meant it....I think! He's not asked me to go across the country or the world yet, so stay tuned! But seriously, life has thrown enough 'change' at me that the idea of leaving my home, my family, my job, all the 'comforts' that I enjoy, doesn't scare me like it used to. Why? Because God has guided every. single. step. Even when I couldn't or wouldn't acknowledge His presence or hand in something, He was there. Do I miss my family? More than I can describe. Do I miss my coworkers? Absolutely (because they started as coworkers and I left them as friends). Do I stress about owning a home in one place and renting one in another? Who wouldn't. But there's more to it than that....everywhere that Adam and I have ever gone--no matter the jobs, the home, the school--everywhere we've ever been, God has provided us a 'family' in that place. Our USMC family is just that--a family. The friends we made in Sylva between school, work, and church, I cherish those people and our relationships. It's happening here in eastern NC, too. Trips home are just a car ride away. Visits from our folks are cherished--even more so than when we lived 3 miles from them. But in the time that Adam and I have been on our own and away from our families, we've grown SO much as a couple. Since we've had kids, we've grown SO much as parents and as a family of four. I wouldn't trade that growth or that time for anything in this world. And we wouldn't of had that growth had we not been willing to change, to grow, and to go where God presented us opportunities!

What am I driving at here? Don't fear change. Don't dread it. You don't have to always embrace it with open arms and a smile (I haven't always!), but don't run and lock yourself in the closet when an opportunity for growth presents itself. Pray...be still and know. Be willing to see the positives in the change amidst all of the things you would consider a negative. Life is too short to live with 'what ifs' and 'if only' thoughts. We're not promised tomorrow and there's a whole big world out there to explore and take in! 

For those of you who are going  through a season of change and for those of you who are trying to avoid one, my prayers are with you always. 

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. ~ Philippians 4:6-7