This week is the start of a new school year for our family. It’s also a new and different school year, much the same as it is for every family.
Transition. It’s the word going through my head as I wonder how every everyone will do with the transition, with all the changes.
Transition, according to dictionary.com is “the movement, passage, or change from one position, state, stage, subject, concept, etc., to another”.
At times, we transition easily, and other times, not so much. It sure would be easier if life, like the movies, would fade the music in and out so we would know that change was going to soon happen.
Change, it’s unavoidable in this life and yet, it is needed.
I will admit, I don’t like change. Actually, I don’t like it not one little bit. I also don’t do well with it. From the outside, it may look like I am handling it fine, but truth be known, if it were possible to see my insides they would see a jumbled mess.
So how can we best handle transitions?
“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” (1 Thessalonians 5:18, NKJV)
We must face these times of change with constant prayer. Maybe even, the down on your knees kind of prayer. When was the last time we humbled ourselves before Him, down on our knees, lifting up our souls to Him?
Did you notice we are told to give thanks “in everything”? Why do we only give thanks for those things we enjoy or like or feel like be thankful? It is in everything that we can, and are, to give thanks. We are even told giving thanks in all things is the will of God for our lives.
“Gratitude isn’t something we remember every once in a while during the good times. It’s something we remember every day, no matter the season. It is what Dietrich Bonhoeffer spoke of when he wrote,
“Only he who gives thanks for the little things receives the big things. We prevent God from giving us the great spiritual gifts he has in store for us, because we do not give thanks for daily gifts … We pray for the big things and forget to give thanks for the ordinary, small (and yet really not small) gifts.”
(from Girl Meets Change by Kristen Strong, page 120)
How are we to handle the changes we all are facing?
Down on our knees.
Lifting up our souls to Him.
Giving thanks in everything.
Photo by Element5 Digital on Unsplash
Today I am joining …
