Changes

You might have noticed a few changes around here. A little nip, a little tuck, and voilà: a whole new (personalized) blog! If only all of life were so easy, eh? I thought you might like to know that I made it through my first week of work. For various reasons I have chosen not to reveal where I am working, but I'll let you know that there is a learning curve associated with the job and I deal with people all day long. I have been stretched and challenged and it has been good for me. I am finally getting the chance to put into practice all those Maxwell principles (see THIS post as well as THIS one if you want to know what I'm talking about) that I've been reading about for the last two years. It has brought home the fact that information and learning (even if you don't foresee yourself using it) is never wasted. Even though the LIST of major life changes in 2010 was long, it looks as if 2011 is prepared to give 2010 a run for it's money! 


In the spirit of change I wanted to share some thoughts I had been having recently. I suppose they were brought on by the recent changes, not only the obvious update of the blog layout, but also the changes to our lifestyle, habits, and daily routine now that I'm working outside our home. One of the things I really appreciate about our years of living overseas and moving around all the time was the flexibility that it taught us. By the end of our second trip out (when we moved 13 times in four months) we had really learned to go with the flow. Life is never certain and our time in Botswana gave me a lot of "easy" flexibility practice in handling whatever life decided to throw my way. The Lord knew that I needed to learn that lesson before I was faced with the much bigger changes that were to come. 


In the last 11 years we have only made three major whole-house moves, but we made up for it by moving around a lot overseas and we got very good at living out of suitcases for months on end. Over a period of five years we lived in seven countries (not counting the U.S.) and moved housing locations something like 30 times. When we came back in December 2008, we were burned out, slightly bitter, most certainly cynical, and totally at a loss as to what the future held for us. It's one thing to blythly say to someone, "God will provide and He'll show you what you should do", and it's something else entirely when you are the person who can't seem to find the light at the end of the tunnel. But while the Lord allowed us to go through the valley, it wasn't without a purpose. During the darkest of times, our characters were being developed and our Christian walk was being strengthened in ways that I don't think it would have been if life had always been sunshine and daisies. 

I don't know what stage of life you are in right now, but I encourage you to seek the Lord in all that you do. Trust that even though you don't see the purpose for the road you are walking, the Lord does know and He has a plan for your life. In good times and in bad, there is no place I would rather be then in the Hands of the One who holds the future. I'm closing with the words from one of my favorite hymns:

Why should I feel discouraged, why should the shadows come,

Why should my heart be lonely, and long for heaven and home,

When Jesus is my portion? My constant friend is He:

His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me;

His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.

“Let not your heart be troubled,” His tender word I hear,

And resting on His goodness, I lose my doubts and fears;

Though by the path He leadeth, but one step I may see;

His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me;

His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.

Whenever I am tempted, whenever clouds arise,

When songs give place to sighing, when hope within me dies,

I draw the closer to Him, from care He sets me free;

His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me;

His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.

Refrain

I sing because I’m happy,

I sing because I’m free,

For His eye is on the sparrow,

And I know He watches me.