September 2, I can hardly believe it. Where did summer go? But it is another change of season, a time of fresh starts. Some of us are resistant to change. I received our women's ministry newsletter yesterday and my friend, Emily summed it all up. She graciously said I could share it with you. I will say, Emily is the real deal. She is a woman after God's own heart but she is very honest about the ups, downs and arounds in the daily living it out. We've had the privilege of walking with them since the beginning of this new adventure in the their life. We've seen their hearts.
Emily and PJ Holmertz along with their two children begin the adventure of a lifetime as they head to Africa at the end of this month. You can follow them on their blog.http://holmertzadventures.aimsites.org/
Change. Just the word alone makes me cringe. I often think of change as the opposite of security. Security is what is familiar to me. Security is
predictability. It is routine. It is comfort. It is control. I guess when it comes down to it, security to me is the absence of change. The problem is, change is inevitable.
Change is always marked by the end of one thing and the beginning of something new. This time of year generates a lot of change for most people. It's the end of vacation time and the beginning of schedules, school, and new projects. It's the end of swimming suits and tank tops, and the beginning of jackets and jeans. It's the end of iced tea and lemonade and the beginning of cappuccinos and hot chocolates. The end of flip-flops and the beginning of Uggs. The end of sprinklers and lawn mowers, and the beginning of rakes and shovels. The end of the air conditioning, and the beginning of warm fireplaces and space-heaters. Some changes we dread and some we look forward to.
Throughout the past year, my mind has been consumed with a very big change that will be happening to my family just a few short weeks from now. One chapter is ending, and a new one is beginning. We are pulling up the roots that have grown deep into the soil of familiarity here in Des Moines, Iowa and replanting them in the soil of unfamiliarity, unpredictability, and discomfort in Nairobi, Kenya. When the Lord first started nudging our hearts to be missionaries in Africa, the fear of change overwhelmed me. Even now, so close to our departure date, I still have plenty of days when fear threatens to overpower me.
As we are preparing for Africa, I've been thinking a lot about my personal attitude towards change and how the LORD might be challenging me to see it from His eternal perspective. Watching beloved pieces of furniture and other meaningful objects be hauled out of our home, sent off to Goodwill or sold on the driveway, I've had to make a decision every day...sometimes every minute: What am I going to put my hope and trust in? Familiarity? Comfort? Routine? Predictability? Or will my hope be in the Unchangeable, Unshakeable, Loving, All-powerful, Sovereign God?
I've found that my fear of change is most overwhelming when I start thinking too much about me. If I base my attitude solely on my own abilities or inabilities to cope with change, I should be afraid! I know I can't do it. If I spend too much time thinking about how unqualified I am and how hard this change is going to be, my fears would paralyze me. And if I forget about the power that is in me through Christ and His limitless abilities to help me, protect me and guide me though all the unknowns, I would not cooperate with this change at all. I'd fight it, and desperately try to cling to my "content", routine, predictable life and miss a whole lot of great things that God could teach me when I am outside of my comfort zone.
But God says, "Forget the former things! Do not dwell on the past! See, I am doing a new thing!" (Isaiah 43:18-19) The question for all of us is this: Will we embrace His new beginning for our lives, or will we run from it?
It's when we're outside our comfort zones, living beyond ourselves, and trusting Him with each new step of the way that we can quit focusing on our own weaknesses and begin living in His strength and power. To know Him like that.....now that's my kind of new beginning!
Emily and PJ Holmertz along with their two children begin the adventure of a lifetime as they head to Africa at the end of this month. You can follow them on their blog.http://holmertzadventures.aimsites.org/
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