Disclaimer: this is nothing new or profound...it's just my "I'm at Starbucks, and I don't have internet at home yet, so I should blog" musings.
With that said...
I figured it's only fitting to blog about change as I face this season of my life for 2 reasons: A. It's a season we all face at one time or another, and B. I have a TON of time on my hands since I'm unemployed for the time being. Hey, I might as well make good use of the time that's been given to me, right?
Change is hard.
The end.
Just kidding. haha...I crack myself up.
But seriously, change is really tough. I've shed many tears (I know you're not surprised) these past few weeks over the change that was about to take place and that is now taking place in my life. I've said goodbye to many people whom I dearly love and have said hello to a lot of unknowns. For five years, I've lived in a safe and loving environment called Brownwood, and God has truly blessed me in the relationships I've formed there. I will never be able to express my gratitude to the Lord for the people He placed in my life during my time there. I've made memories there that will never cease to bring a grin to my face. The great thing is that these relationships will not stop now that I've moved away, but I am confident that God will be faithful in growing them in His perfect way. I may not be able to see my friends as often or get to share in the experiences they share together, but I know that God is faithful...and that is really all I need to know.
Saying goodbye to someone I love is probably the hardest thing ever for me to do. I don't know why, but I hate letting go of the time I have with someone. But I've learned that it comes naturally in relationships. If you say hello to someone, it means that, at some point, you will be forced to say goodbye. I've also learned that saying goodbye is a healthy thing to do. I've never really understood the line in Jon Foreman's song that says, "If you love her, let her go." I'm actually still not sure if I understand it completely, but I do think of that line when I think about saying bye to someone. In a way, saying goodbye brings me to a place where I'm led to depend on God. Depending on people will never work because you will have to say goodbye to them at some point. Let me paint a picture for you because I'm not sure if this is making sense...
You can ask Matt if you don't believe me when I say that I hate saying goodbye. Long distance relationships are tough, and the end of each conversation is the worst, but it inevitably comes...and I'm terrible at being okay with that. lol. I try my hardest at putting it off, but he is always good at reminding me that sleep is a good thing, so I begrudgingly say goodbye and hang up the phone. And it's that moment after I've said bye that I'm reminded that God is still there. He is the only One that we don't have to say goodbye to! We can be in constant contact with Him...how cool is that?! But this isn't something we've earned...it's something we've been given! When Jesus died, He tore the veil that separated us and God, and Jesus became the Mediator between us and the Father. What this means is that even though we must say goodbye to people we love, Jesus has made it to where we never have to say goodbye to the Father. He is ever present and ever loving.
And that's what I hold onto during this time of change in my life. I know that He will provide new friends and new experiences (not to replace the old by any means), and I will adjust to living in a new place...but the most comforting thing is that through every change in our lives, big and small, we can look to the One who is UNchanging. He is faithful.
Praise God for being unchangeable in our times of change.
