SHIFT HAPPENS. It’s
been said that the most dependable aspect of life in these times is that things
change. Somebody “moves our
cheese.” Shift happens. Just when we think we’ve got all our life
neatly organized (right!), something changes.
Sometimes, it’s really big. A
boss says the company needs you in another city. Or another department. Or not at all. A child leaves the “nest” for school or a
life on their own. A spouse walks
away. A doctor gives a not-so-welcome
prognosis. Worse, someone we love
dies. This shifting happens even in the
church. Worship styles change. New staff come and go. Different kinds of people start showing
up. We are asked to share the role we
once thought was uniquely ours.
For me, as a creative person, I usually greet change with
excitement, enthusiasm. But not too long
ago, I experienced a change in my life that rocked me more than I care to
admit. The little 5½ dog that shared life with Deb and me for 15
years, needed to be put down. And
“Sammie” was no ordinary dog (I know we all say that). She was like a furry angel God placed in our
life for the very reason of providing stability and unconditional love through
the many changes we would navigate during her lifetime. Her death left a bigger hole in my heart than
I imagined was possible from a non-human.
Occasionally, she still shows up in my dreams. Our house feels
different. It’s a noticeable shift, and one which will never return
to the way it was.
As a person living in an increasingly unstable and changing
world, I am beginning to weary of it a bit, seeing more and more of change as
not so much for the better, but just
because we can change. Technology is shrinking our world and
enabling us to get places faster, do things cheaper, and do whatever we can dream. In
fact, human kind appears to be growing more and more restless. So I find myself
simultaneously excited and uneasy.
Stimulated, but suspicious.
Eager, and yet a bit dreadful.
Where do we turn, when, as the ancient hymn writer once
wrote, “every earthly prop gives way?” Lately, I’ve been finding comfort in Psalm
34, penned by another artistic type, King David himself.
I will extol the Lord
at ALL times. His praise will always be on my lips. My soul will boast in the Lord: let the
afflicted hear and rejoice. Glorify the
Lord with me; let us exalt His name together.
I sought the Lord, and He answered me; He delivered me from all my
fears. Those who look to Him are
radiant; their faces are never covered with shame.”
From these five little verses, my 3½ lbs of brain
conclude: I need encouragement, I need a community,
I need faith. Or better said, WE need
encouragement. WE need community. WE need faith. If I am to be delivered from all my fears, I need to be urged forward, to keep
joining myself with others, and to keep trusting the One who is the same
Yesterday, Today, and Forever. And so do
you.
Who are the ones in your life that God consistently uses to
do just that in your life through their encouragement, their friendship, their
faith? Take a moment to thank God for
their part in your life. Better yet, drop them a note, an email, a text message
and let them know how God is using them to help ground you, when so many things
in life are shifting. It may come in
handy the next time someone moves your cheese. tad
