Living as a daughter of the military taught me that nothing is permanent.
The places we live, the people surrounding us, and the jobs we have will always change. We are always on the move. Like leaves in the fall, we change. We’re nomads.
I generally like change. I like new semesters with harder curriculum and smaller classes. I like new cities and the new habits that form when I experience them. Change is good but change is also frustrating. What about the changes that come after you fall in love?
It’s difficult when you fall in love with the place you live and the job you have, and when the people around you are the greatest you’ve met. Where I live now, the sun shines outside my window every day, if only for an hour or two. The train passes by every other morning. The echo of the tracks wakes the birds, then they wake me. I love that. But I didn’t love this squat, little duplex at first. I didn’t want to be here at all in the beginning.
But change happened. And change happened fast, faster than I could handle, but that’s the thing, circumstances change faster than our minds. It’s hard to keep up with it all but Bob Dylan had a point when he said: “you better start swimmin' or you'll sink like a stone, for the times they are a-changin’”
We can’t control anything in this world, we can’t stop it from changing. Even our minds change, so it’s difficult to even trust yourself. That’s a little discomforting but Hebrews 13:8 says, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” God doesn’t change like the world does.
Isaiah 28:16 says “Therefore, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: ‘Look! I am placing a foundation stone in Jerusalem, a firm and tested stone. It is a precious cornerstone that is safe to build on. Whoever believes need never be shaken.’” God is the cornerstone. He is the only sure thing in this world. Our faith in Him never needs to waiver because he is the same today as he was yesterday, a thousand years ago, and who he will be tomorrow.
I like change. Even when the change is difficult to get through like when I need to move homes, change my major, or say goodbye to people. I trust that God will be with me through the change. He will never change, He won’t leave, He is the cornerstone of my life. I only need to trust in Him. One of my favorite verses is Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.”
Change happens. It’s inevitable. But God doesn’t change. That’s His promise. Place your faith in Him because He is the most secure foundation for our lives.
