A Change
by Reginald Bullard
“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.”
Isaiah 43:18-19, NIV
I can remember sitting with my Dad on the “Deacons’ side” of the church and trying to aggravate my younger sister, who sat with our Mom on the “Deaconess’ side” during service. Aside from making silly faces at each other and not getting caught, I can remember the soloist singing “Changed” by Walter Hawkins. I didn’t know what the lyrics meant, but now I can certainly say, as that song says, “He changed, my life complete…” in so many ways.
As we enter the season of spring, it’s really exciting to see all the changes that are happening before us. Our son will soon be a college graduate and moving on with his life; our younger daughter will start driving soon (pray for us), and there’s an anticipated abundance of warm-weather veggies coming forth in the garden.
One of the things that I whine to my wife about is removing plants that are out of season as we plant. I thoroughly enjoy them, and I don’t want them to go. Sometimes, even good things must be removed so that something even more productive can grow. I am reminded of God’s Word in Isaiah 43:18-19 that tells us to not dwell on the things of the past, but to focus on the new things that God is doing in our lives. Do we dwell on the glory days of yesteryear or do we get excited about the changes that God has as we walk closer with Him?
As we read in the book Exodus, the Israelites constantly looked over their shoulders and reminisced about the allegedly good life in Egypt. I can only imagine how frustrating it must have been for Moses to show God’s plans for them, but leading a group of stubborn Israelites who weren’t willing to change.
As we start this spring season, what habits, opportunities, and/or beliefs are you willing to throw out so that better can come? It might be adapting to some lifestyle changes while moving to a different season of life. We are focusing on financial and home changes as we approach the “empty nest” season. I pray that you will allow God to show the good changes that He has in store for your life. Blessings to you during this spring season.
|
