The Sound Of Change

Be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the LORD your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you.

Drip. Drip. Drip. Drip. Drip. A lull in the conversation during our early evening walk had Aaron and me tuning in to the soundtrack playing around us. The pitter-patter of ten thousand drips interspersed with an occasional plop as snow slid off a roof or branch was music to my winter-weary soul, a subtle symphony assuring me that the recent snowfall would soon be gone.

As I splashed through sidewalk puddles, I glimpsed muddy flower beds alongside house foundations and around mailboxes and pondered the musicality and the mess accompanying the transition from winter to spring.

If I’m honest, I rarely like the process of change, even if the outcome is one for which I’ve longed. Chaos, disarray (emotional and physical), and occasional discomfort are my least favorite things, even when I know they are leading to a better place. And if I don’t know what the outcome will be, the added layers of uncertainty bring me to my proverbial knees.

For me, facing change from a posture of prayer has become an essential tool for navigating the good, the bad, and all things in between. The promise that God goes before us, neither failing nor abandoning us, is one I’ve whispered under my breath as I stood at courtroom and conference room thresholds on the cusp of life-altering decisions. I made today’s verse my mantra as I sat with pencil and paper alongside thousands of fellow law school graduates, waiting for the bar exam questions to be slowly passed out, one by one. I’ve clung to it with desperation next to hospital beds while waiting on the results of important tests.

God is trustworthy in the midst of change—even change we didn’t ask for and don’t want. He stands with us in turmoil, bringing his peace and solace amid earthly discomfort. On more than one occasion, knowing that I am not alone—even for one moment—has left me in tears of gratitude.

Julie

Today’s Act of Gratitude

Memorize Deuteronomy 31:6 so you can face change with gratitude, knowing that you are not alone.