Change

Have you ever noticed a theme coming up in your daily life?  For me in the last several weeks and months the theme has been “change”.  It seems like everything I happen to read, conversations that come up and situations that occur in my life are all about moving in a different direction.

Definition:  change (verb) cheynj  1.  Become or make different; to become different, or make something or somebody different.  2.  Substitute or replace something.  3. Pass from one state to another.  4. Remove clothes and put on others.  5. Remove and replace something; to remove something dirty or used and replace it with another that is clean or unused.  6.  Move from one vehicle to another; to get out of one vehicle or means of transportation and continue the journey in another.  7.  Exchange money for smaller units; to exchange a unit of money for an equal amount of money in lower denominations.  8.  Deepen; to become deeper in register.   (NOUN)  1.  Making or becoming different; alteration, variation or modification or the result of this.  2.  Exchange or replacement; an exchange substitution or replacement of something or somebody.  3.  Variance from routine; a variance from a routine or pattern, especially a welcome one.  4.  Coins; coins collectively, especially coins of a small denomination.  5.  Money given back; the balance of money given back to a customer who has handed over a large sum that the cost of the goods or services purchased.  6.  Fresh set of something; a different clean or fresh set of something, especially clothes. 

I really like words that are both verbs and nouns.  For example, I can initiate a change in circumstances or I can be the change itself.  Change is something we either embrace or resist.  There usually isn’t a middle ground here.  You either have a “welcome change” or the winds of change have blown in a bad direction.  I would like to think of myself as someone that embraces change and can see the positive of unexpected circumstances, but the reality is; I really stink at shifting gears.  My feet stay firmly planted in routine and when that routine is altered, I’m pretty cranky.

It seems to me that when change walks into our lives we tend to figure out what we really rely on in terms of our faith.  It’s when something gets completely shaken up, we are either thankful to our Divine for a blessing or we are fervently examining the situation with prayer, meditation or another kind philosophical pondering.  Good or bad, change throws off our equilibrium and makes us feel a little like a boat adrift at sea.  It takes a moment or two (or three!) to remember that a good sailor falls back on the basics of navigation and relies on some sort of map and compass.

For me, this is where the goodness of the noun comes in.  I love the concrete being of the noun because while routine is comforting I also enjoy being the change.   But, since my beloved routine is shaken, I also completely rely on God as my verb; the “doing” word and the navigation system in my life.  I might be in a different circumstance but if I’m the difference and God is steering me through this new territory then I find my true North.  I also become more effective at being positive change to myself and those around me.

I think recognizing your true faith is a powerful tool in negotiating change.  Whether you’ve just won the lottery or you’ve just lost your job, what you believe at the core of your being is what bubbles to the surface to give you direction.  Wouldn’t we all manage change a little better if we knew what we believed in initially?  How well do you really know yourself and your faith?  What would bolster you through the winds of change?  While you might believe in a God that is omnipowerful, you can only benefit from that strength if you rely on it. 

When the winds of change blow, some people put up walls and others put up windmills – Chinese Proverb

You can read more of Beth Lopez's blog on www.theroadtofaith.com or like the facebook page on www.facebook.com/theroadtofaith