Photo Courtesy of Bruce R. Cross

I love thunderstorms. Although it might not be the smartest thing to do, I love to stand on my deck and gaze into the world above when a thunderstorm is brewing.

There is something inside of me which shouts “awesome!” when the sky darkens as the clouds are being stirred in a caldron of odd shapes and sizes as they move across the meteorological canvass overhead.

If left to my own devices and without the pull of responsibilities constantly tugging at my pant legs, I would stand and absorb the tempest for hours.

Sometimes I do.

As a storm approaches, the winds increase in intensity and announce a change is about to take place in the atmosphere.

The storm erupts and subsequently passes, leaving behind in its wake a cleansing and reducing the threat to merely something which once was.

Most of the time it is refreshing.

At other times it can be devastating, as would be the case with a tornado or a hurricane.

What is it with the notion of change that makes us resist it vs. embracing it?

Dictionary.com defines the word, change like this:

“to make the form,  content, future course, etc., of something different from what it is or from what it would be if left alone; to transform or convert”

We think of change in a variety of ways:

• Many women go through a daily process of changing their outfits until the look is “just right” and matches the mood or feel of the day.
• On most weekends in our house, Saturday typically signals it is time to change the sheets and we replace them with a freshly laundered set. If I were calling the shots, the frequency might not be weekly. However, this is the price of saying “I do”.
• Every 3,000 to 5,000 miles we change the oil in our cars or at least we should to preserve one of our most costly purchases.
• Winds of change might be blowing at your workplace:
  • Your duties may be changing.
  • A new boss might have entered the scene.
  • A restructuring in the business might catch you by surprise.
  • An impending layoff, like the thunderstorm, may be brewing or the plant might be closing.
  • A change in the location of your employment may have occurred.
  • These all might be part of the recipe constituting the cake being baked.
  • We tend to think of these as bad when in fact they may ultimately work for the good.
  • As the definition states, “the future course might be changed and even transformed.” I can embrace “transformed”!
• My daughter and her family are about to launch a rocket fueled with lots of change as they are moving to London.
  • Their lives are on course and morphing from the familiar to the unfamiliar as they become neighbors with “the Queen”.
  • There is a sense of exploration and adventure which awaits them as they trust God for His direction for their lives.
• We all face major change in marrying, giving birth and raising a family, watching children grow and leave the nest, when a loved one passes from this life.
• A seed planted changes and is transformed into a variety of fruits and vegetables to be enjoyed.
• Over the past several weeks, my wife’s second grade class observed on a daily basis the process of change which took place in the life of a caterpillar transformed into a butterfly.

A fact on which I have placed my trust is this. While many things produce change there is a constant on which I can rest.

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” (Hebrews 13:8 NLT).

As the clouds have swirled and the storms have come and gone, I take much comfort in this truth.  He does not change!

I do not have mystical powers or a crystal ball, but my hunch is you too are faced with change and it is being served to you on a platter called Uncertainty.

At times the menu appears to be the same for breakfast, lunch, and dinner as well as the snacks in between.

Can I offer a suggestion?

Take the road less traveled as Robert Frost once penned.

Try thinking of change as a catalyst to get you where you are meant to be instead of something that is shoving you out of the nest where you might like to remain.

It will make all the difference!

Forget paddling against the current and go with the flow!

This might be you now:

This could be who you are becoming:

Photo Courtesy of Bruce R. Cross

The process may take a while and it might even be painful.

However, the result might be something you never imagined.

Contained in the adversity you might be experiencing is the seed of an equal or greater opportunity!

In what ways can you alter your thinking and embrace whatever changes you may be facing?