Change - Good or Bad?
People deal with change differently. Some like it, some hate it. I land right in the middle. I like it, if it is a change that I want to make, but I don’t like change if it is forced onto me or if it is out of my control. I wonder how the Israelite’s felt about the change they went through coming out of Egypt. On one hand, they wanted to see the change, to be freed from their slavery but on the other hand there was the unknown. Following Moses, passing through the Red Sea, eating quail and manna, and wondering in the desert for 40 years before entering the promise land. They got the change they wanted, freedom, but it came with a change in how they followed God. They had to learn to trust God in a new way. This came to mind as I was thinking about how there are things that I need to change in my life as it pertains to my spiritual disciplines, my prayer life and how I read scripture. My spiritual life had become a little stale and I wasn’t feeling a close connection to God. It wasn’t that I thought that God was pulling away, but more like that I was in a rut, and I needed a refresh, a renewal in my spiritual disciplines. Have you ever felt that way? Felt like you needed a change but weren’t sure where what that was or where to turn to for help? We all go through this, and I think one of the best things we can do is to lean into the close trusted relationships with have with our spouse and friends. It’s here that we really embrace what it means to live in Christian community. We can ask others to pray for us and we can seek ideas of how they are staying connected to God. That is what I did. I got turned on to a Lectio Divina app, Lectio 365, that leads me through a morning and evening devotion time. I really like it and I am in the process of making a part of my daily rituals. I can tell you that through it I am feeling a better connection with our creator. What are you doing for your spiritual growth? I would love to hear about it.
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Owen