The challenges and blessings of change
By Charles Christian
Any new adventure can increase stress levels. New adventures can also get our adrenaline pumping and sharpen our focus.
New jobs, new environments, new relationships and even a new school year can provide opportunities to break out of our daily ruts by challenging us to adjust our thinking and actions to adapt. At the same time, all of these new experiences can move us out of comfortable patterns and environments, and those kinds of changes can give us pause. Will we be up to the challenge? Will we adjust to the new reality? Will we be embraced and accepted?
Finding balance in times of transition is crucial for our growth. In the Bible, people of faith are seen as those who engage in established rituals while also being called by God to do “new things.”
Perhaps the key to successfully navigating change lies in certain consistent patterns, relationships and rituals that keep us grounded while also challenging ourselves to move into areas of change. Obviously, there will be times when certain patterns and even certain relationships must give way to change. However, keeping things around us that keep us grounded can help us navigate these changes more effectively.
In the Old Testament, the people of God were often nomadic. They moved around quite a bit, sometimes by choice and sometimes by the force exerted upon them by enemies. When they moved from places of comfort and security to somewhere new, they kept certain rituals and worship practices that accompanied them wherever they went. They also kept songs that were familiar to the community.
These rituals and songs became sources of comfort and assurance, even as their environment was changing drastically. These elements reminded them of God’s faithfulness even during transition times.
What are your consistent rituals, songs and relationships that keep you grounded during times of change? Identifying these individually and with those close to you who are experiencing transition can provide courage, strength and peace, regardless of the changes taking place.
