I just finished a phone call with our daugther. She has been wanting to go further in her career as a nurse. She has prayed and looked for what might the right opportunity for her at this point in her life. The kids are grown and our son in law has a successful career so it is pretty much the two of them. Welcome to the empty nest, darling. We are proud of her taking this step and know she will certainly succeed. I told her that at this point in her life she has the time and the opportunity to try and achieve more and to take advantage of those opportunities.
Our son is also trying some things that he had not done before. They are not his primary job but is something that will require time and effort when he is engaged with the business. Recently, we were talking and I was asking questions and mentioning things he might need or want to consider. It was impressive to hear him having already thought about, considered and acted upon what I was sharing.
In talking to both of them I realized that for the most part I have done and accomplished about all I will in this life. There is nothing I would want to attempt but certainly enjoy what we have achieved in our life. I was working on my website and was reminded as I read and updated things that I have been pretty busy in life. I still am but certainly not to the level I have been earlier in life.
There are changes that we all experience in life. Some will be much more significant than others. There will be those we actually plan or launch into in order to accomplash something. They might cause a major change in lifestyle or even location. Others will be because of health or income changes. Certainly the effects of the economy or the government might cause changes we might want and some we would prefer not to experience.
Times change, seasons change, and Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 NKJV reminds us that everything has its time-
1 To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven:
2 A time to be born, And a time to die; A time to plant, And a time to pluck what is planted;
3 A time to kill, And a time to heal; A time to break down, And a time to build up;
4 A time to weep , And a time to laugh; A time to mourn, And a time to dance;
5 A time to cast away stones, And a time to gather stones; A time to embrace, And a time to refrain from embracing;
6 A time to gain, And a time to lose; A time to keep, And a time to throw away;
7 A time to tear, And a time to sew; A time to keep silence, And a time to speak;
8 A time to love, And a time to hate; A time of war, And a time of peace.
Change has come to our country over the last few months and significantly in the past weeks. As a new administration entered into power, things changed. Whether you agree or not, change has occurred just as it did the last time the administration changed.
Henry Ford once said that-
“We do not make changes for the sake of making them, but we never fail to make a change when once it is demonstrated that the new way is better than the old way.”
Now I am not a change for the sake of change kind of guy. I believe change can be good and necessary. However, changing simply to be changing has never worked for me. I do like things as often they are, you know the status quo. There are times when change is needed because there is no way to move forward without change.
There is a quote attributed to Freud that the definition of insanity is attempting the same thing over and over expecting a different result. Many live their lives in just that way. Things never change because they never change. Thus, the results will be the same time and time again.
Embracing change can be hard, but it is not impossible. Interestingly, there are some things God has given for us to make up our minds about. The simple examples are what we wear, what we eat, friends and even where we go. More importantly, there are areas in which God can and will direct our lives. Knowing the difference between the two is so important for us as we deal with the changes that come in life.
In God's Grace,
Ebert Nasworthy
