Change

I just went on a walk down by the South Platte River. I needed to take a break from the library and spend some time with God. As I was walking I asked God to teach me something through his creation. I think if we take time to notice the beauty and magnificence of what He made, we can learn alot about our Creator.

Immediately after I asked God this, I noticed how much wider and faster the river was since I had taken my last walk, a little over a week ago. I passed by the dam that I used to walk out on and sit. Well, that would have been impossible this time unless I wanted to go for a swim.

It struck me how fast things change. Only a couple of weeks ago I was able to walk out on that dam. Then I started noticing all the other changes going on in nature. Everything is so much greener and the trees are starting to bloom. Even the sounds were different. The river was louder. I could hear frogs and locusts. So many things had changed within just a few weeks.

I started thinking about how many changes I have experienced in my life over the past year. There have been quite a few. I graduated from college, experienced the death of a friend, said goodbye to everyone I knew and moved to Denver where I knew nobody, made new friends with the summer interns, said goodbye to them, got my first real job, started seminary, quit my first real job...and those are just the highlights. I won't even go into all the smaller changes that have happened.

Looking back on all these changes, I can see God at work in each one of them. He used those changes to move me forward, closer to where He wants me. Some of these changes were wanted, and others were unwanted. Regardless, God used them. I have come to believe that change is a healthy thing. Change can bring amount tremendous amounts of personal growth. I know it has in my case. I now try to embrace change. I like to shake things up and try new things. It makes life way more exciting.

I think resisting change can be damaging in the long run. You will miss out on alot if you refuse to change. Clinging to things in your past makes it really hard to move forward. I've learned that lesson the hard way. Actually, I am still learning that.

Change can come suddenly, gradually, expected, or unexpected. However things change in my life, I choose to learn from them. I have no idea what other changes God has in store for me, but I am excited to find out.