Change
Good morning from Westminster, MD!
Jen and I are back in the United States for a three week visit and every time I travel, one way or the other, one of life’s truths is made abundantly clear – change is inevitable. While I love both Nicaragua and the United States, they are very different places. As I exit the airport in Baltimore or in Managua, I am immediately reminded that I have changed locations. Over the past few days, I have had the chance to catch up with friends and talk about all that has changed in our lives since we last talked. Many of these conversations have revolved around recently born or soon to be born children, and recent or upcoming marriages, all of which are major points of change. In three weeks, when Jen and I travel back to Nicaragua, I am sure something will have changed while we were gone. Change is most definitely a part of life.
When I think about all of the changes that are happening around me, I feel a certain level of excitement but I also feel a certain level of anxiety. Many times change can be a good thing, but it can also be extremely unsettling, even when it is for the better. As humans, we tend to like to believe that we are in control of our lives and many times change challenges that perspective. With so much change happening in life, it can be hard to find something to which we can anchor ourselves. In my life, I have found my relationship with God invaluable when it comes to this. In the letter to the Hebrews in the Bible it says, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” (Hebrews 13:8, NIV) In a world where many things are not the same from one minute to the next, statements such as this can be hard to believe. I, however, have experienced the truth of these words. Despite the constant state of change happening around me, Jesus remains the same. No matter how chaotic my life gets, I find peace in knowing that the God who loves me is always there.
As I continue to walk through this life full of changes, I hope to anchor my life more and more on the one who does not change – God. What is your life anchored to today?
– James Belt
In2theRiver 