Choosing Hope

I hate change.

Always have.

Every fall as a kid, I'd have dreams the night before school started, worrying about what the new year held.

I hate it when shoes wear out or you have to replace an appliance or your vehicle bites the dust, because what if you don't like the new things as much as the old?

Choosing a new paint color can be exhausting. How do you know it will give the room the right vibe?

I've never lived farther than an hour away from where I grew up.

Deciding on a new activity is a headache. How will it affect my family, my time, my stress level?

I even get a little jittery moving the furniture around.

So it's no surprise to me this election process has been unsettling for many. No matter who was elected, black or white, man or woman, Republican or Democrat, a new leader would be moving into the White House. What will it mean for us?

Anxiety and apprehension about change is nothing new. Change caused the Israelites t0 wander in the wilderness, be taken into captivity and reject the Messiah. But let's not forget it also paved the way for God to display His power (remember the Red Sea, the walls tumbling down, the fiery furnace?), rescued them from slavery, brought them to the Promised Land and provided a way of salvation for ALL men.

Generations of God's people have worried about the future for their children and maintaining their livelihoods just as we do. They faced uncertainty and fear. How did they cope?

They looked to the only thing that never changes, the Maker of heaven and earth, Almighty God.

I the Lord do not change. So you, O descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed.

Malachi 3:6

We are not destroyed either, no where close. We are safe in His control. As much as it goes against my nature, I choose to be thankful for change. Without it I would never have experienced marriage, motherhood or some really great relationships. I would never learn to trust or hope or dream.

As change begins in our country, I'll keep my eyes on God, pray for those in power and look expectantly for His hand. Worrying over the direction our country is headed accomplishes nothing. Instead, I will embrace this change as a time for new possibilities and opportunities to see God in action.

For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.

Psalm 100:5

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