Change.

This year has brought a lot of change; and I’m not just talking about a world-freaking-pandemic. Just in my own personal life, I have seen more change than I have ever in one year: moving apartments, adopting a dog, work transitions, and living alone. Cram all of these in less than 12 months and it can get overwhelming. Edited: it is overwhelming. 

Over the past few months, I’ve struggled with change and my feelings with change. I thought I can push down the feelings of loneliness or restlessness by working harder and constantly doing something. I thought I could just continue to push harder, try new things, and become the best person that I can be. And then I realized that after all that, after I joined classes on Skillshare or added to my growing to-do list, or even increased my TBR pile on my bookshelf, I became exhausted. I grew to be tired all the time, and not just physically tired. Emotionally, mentally, spiritually exhausted from trying to be like everyone else and I was about ready to give up and go live on a farm in some far off island (an inside joke amongst my friends). 

I’ve thought about change for a while now. I guess you can say that it’s been on my heart to talk about it. So many things have changed in my life just over the past year alone. And as a newly-24-year-old, I have no idea how to navigate life and how to be an adult! We weren’t taught that in school; maybe I learned things like the Pythagorean theorem, but how is an equation going to help me figure out what taxes to pay or how to set up a budget? 

All jokes aside on the Pythagorean theorem. What I’ve learned over the past few months is that coping with change is a huge, important life skill. You’ll encounter change throughout the rest of your life—dating, marriage, moving into a new house, even children…basically, things will change, and your life will not remain constant. Even your own body will change. 

But a life verse hit me like a ton of bricks when I was driving the other day and reflecting on change. “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” Hebrews 13:8 (ESV) LIFE. I rested on that verse. I thought a lot on that one particular verse. As much change is going to come, and there will be more change to come, Jesus is the one who remains constant in my life. He always did, no matter what change came my way. And that’s something really powerful to just rest on—that Jesus will be your constant. It goes back to the foundation that we as Christians build our lives on the rock. Jesus is my foundation, Jesus was my foundation, Jesus will forever be my foundation. 

When change is coming my way, my first instinct is to push harder and try to keep things the way they are. It’s like I’m fighting a wave that keeps coming my way and I am keeping my feet firmly planted in the sand. When I try to keep things the way they are, I keep my eyes and heart firmly planted in things like my to-do lists, daily routines, and stuff like that. But Jesus didn’t call Christians to be like that. He called us to be like Him, to grow and to be like Him. 

John 15:5 says this, “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” 

We’re called to bear fruit; abiding in Him will result in bearing good fruit. Jesus didn’t call me to keep my feet firmly placed in the sand and be rooted in the past; He called me to grow and rest in Him.

God knows the change I’m going through, and He knows the change I will go through. With every change that’s going to come my way, I can rest in one thing: that Jesus will forever be my constant. He remains the same, and I in Him.