Embracing Disappointment and Change with Gratefulness and Faith

Change isn't easy.  Whether we are moving to a new place, starting a new job, or adjusting to life without someone we loved, change brings with it a specific pain and struggle.  God's Word says in 1 Thessalonians 5:18: "Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."  A grateful heart can handle life's changing winds more easily. 

     Lauren Daigle's song "Trust in You" reminds me that when life is changing in a really confusing way and God doesn't appear to be answering our prayers the way we had hoped He would, we can still trust Him.  Here are some of the lyrics from her song:

"Truth is, You know what tomorrow brings; There’s not a day ahead You have not seen; Your plans are always good; There’s not a place where I’ll go, You’ve not already stood; I will trust in You! Truth is, You know what tomorrow brings; There’s not a day ahead You have not seen; Your plans are always good; There’s not a place where I’ll go, You’ve not already stood; I will trust in You! When You don’t move the mountains I’m needing You to move; When You don’t part the waters I wish I could walk through; When You don’t give the answers as I cry out to You; I will trust, I will trust, I will trust in You!"

     Job gives us a beautiful example of praising God and hoping in Him in spite of disappointment and change (he had lost almost everything) in Job 1:21: "The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.”  In Job 13:15, he said, "Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him."  I am going through a season of change in my life right now so when I read an article earlier this morning about three things to do when struggling with change, my heart stirred because Abby Perry had written so exquisitely about things I could relate to, and she had given advice for dealing with the struggle. 

   Here is a quote from the article from the section where Perry encourages us to look for new opportunities to serve others inside the new seasons we encounter in life, "Change often brings a new group of people or issues into our view. When our second child was born with special needs, I suddenly “saw” a whole group of mothers I hadn’t seen before, at least not as clearly. I suddenly had doctors and specialists orbiting around my son, many of whom do not know Jesus. I suddenly had the opportunity to embody reliance on the Spirit in a new way. None of these were (or are) easy, but by the Spirit’s power, I have been able to write and serve in new ways because of this change. Keep your eyes open for ways to contribute to kingdom flourishing in your changing season, and put your hands to the plow. He is with you." 

    Her article is very encouraging.  Read more here: http://www.ibelieve.com/faith/3-things-to-do-when-you-are-struggling-with-change.html I am determined to be grateful for the opportunities that change gives me to truly "see" whole groups of people I had never truly seen or understood before.  I will embrace change because it will give me new things to write about!  It will give me new ways to serve and new things to praise God for!  Let’s thank God for the truth of Malachi 3:6: "I the LORD do not change.”  Even when life is shifting underneath us, our God remains steady. Let's embrace gratefulness by faith today so that when change and disappointment comes, we are ready.