How many of us are somewhat irritated – or possibly a bit enraged – when things in our life change?
A reflection by Mary Lou Edgar for October 20, 2024.
It may be a good change that causes us to look at things a bit differently, or it might be a challenging change which makes lots of things different. I am a person who struggles with change. I put things in place, make changes as they are needed, and then don’t always anticipate how more changes may be needed.
Last evening Dan and I made a somewhat spontaneous decision to go to the mountains earlier this week than we had planned. That in and of itself was a change. We are not very spontaneous people. But we are trying to change that.
We drove here today and the leaves changing was so incredible it was hard to even see it all. That really struck me. The leaves were changing as they do each year. Some years are brighter and more amazing than others. This is one of the most beautiful I have ever seen. It occurred to me that this is a change – a natural change.
Each year as the seasons change, we experience differences.
This is truly a gift from our Creator. When fall comes, we anticipate cooler weather and changes such as the leaves. We begin to anticipate winter. Winter can be a very harsh change – freezing cold weather, icy roads and the temptation to give up doing anything. But there are those of us who love it. Snow is one of my favorite things! Spring comes after winter when flowers bloom and the sun is more prevalent. Who doesn’t love spring? And then summer arrives with the heat, the beach, barbeques, and all those wonderful things.
Our world is made up of change. I know that in my head, I just never thought too seriously about it. But sitting in the car, trying to read a book, I could not pull my eyes away from the colors outside the car. I think it was the Holy Spirit telling me to concentrate on what is important.
And I got it. These changes are a blessing, but sometimes change brings real hardship.
The last few weeks in our country have been horrible for people in the south. Two mammoth hurricanes which also spurred tornados left a devastating path of death and destruction. People lost everything and only recently have some been able to get in touch with family and friends. Some people lost their entire families. Homes were reduced to rubble. It is hard to imagine. All change changes us. I felt hopeless as I watched the horror that was inflicted by the hurricanes. I struggled with what to do, how to help. Here in the mountains, I was filled with joy as I looked at the incredible leaves. I wanted them to stay that way forever.
After we got to our home in the mountains, I took time to meditate and pray about these changes. I realized that my problem with change was my need to stay in control. If things changed, they were not as I planned. I’ve been working on the issue of control in a big way this year. I have made some progress, but I need to keep working. Because we have free will, change is inevitable. Something or someone will always be changing. Our task is to put our faith in God and learn from each change we encounter. Learning, as I did this afternoon from the Holy Spirit, is a real gift. It helps us to be grateful for what we have. As long as we are able to breathe and have love in our lives, we must praise God. God is always here, supporting us in all things. That is one thing that will never change.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Mary Lou Edgar, MSS, is a clinical social worker who founded A Better Chance for Our Children, an adoption and foster care agency that works to find permanent homes for children in the foster care system. Mary Lou was the Executive Director of ABCFOC, but she is now retired. She graduated from Neumann University and Bryn Mawr School of Social Work and Social Research. She and her husband joined SsAM in 2021.
