I looked out of my back door a couple of weeks ago and to my surprise I saw patches of green grass. To see green grass in Chicago in the first week of March, well, that’s unheard of. But it made me smile. It reminded me that spring is around the corner. I took this as a sign of hope. Hope of what is to come. Warmer weather, longer daytime hours, picnics in the park, walks on the beach . . . just a few things that I get to enjoy when the weather turns warm.
Oftentimes people are reluctant to accept change because it means they’ll have to do things differently. Doing things different sometimes pushes us outside of our comfort zones, causing us to become fearful of what lies ahead rather than hopeful.
The one thing that I’ve come to know over the years is that change is inevitable. Whether the change is for good or bad, it’s something we cannot avoid. So instead of worrying and fretting over the unknown that’s brought about by change, we should accept it and the new opportunities that it has to offer.
When you are feeling a bit apprehensive to the changes that are occurring in your life, remember the serenity prayer which says:
God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.
Living one day at a time;
Enjoying one moment at a time;
Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;
Taking, as He did, this sinful world
as it is, not as I would have it;
Trusting that He will make all things right
if I surrender to His Will;
That I may be reasonably happy in this life
and supremely happy with Him
Forever in the next.
Amen.
The next time you’re faced with a situation that requires change, no matter how big or small, how will you handle it? Will you get dragged into it kicking and screaming or will you sit back and embrace it?
By faith, God allows me to know that there’s nothing too hard for God and that all things work together for good for them who love God and are called according to His purpose.
Deborah Powell is the associate executive director of Women of the ELCA.
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