Has someone close to you ever said something about you that was hard to hear? The first time this happens it is annoying or frustrating, but because it’s the first time, you can brush it off. Only, if they say it again, or someone else close to you says the same thing in a totally unrelated situation, it’s hard to ignore.
It’s not comfortable when people know us. When they know not just the good parts, but also the parts of us we wish weren’t true. In this way, our loved ones are mirrors we often don’t want to look into.
For me, there is one thing about myself I have been told over and over. This doesn’t mean I only have one imperfection, it is just that the people around me like to point this one out above all the rest. My family told me about it growing up. My college roommate pointed it out when we were about to graduate college. And then, my closest friend in Pennsylvania pointed it out before I got married. They’ve all said the same thing:
“Melissa, you don’t like change.”
Only, they are wrong, because I LOVE change. I just don’t always like how it happens, not being in control of when it happens, or what I have to let go of to grab a hold of the new. Otherwise, I love change.
I LOVE change. I just don’t always like how it happens, not being in control of when it happens, or what I have to let go of to grab a hold of the new.
But here is where they are right: I don’t do well with change. Even when I want it, I struggle with the transition. Even when I get to plan it, it can feel like the earth is moving under my feet. I am a routine person, and change disrupts that.
Recently, I heard the teacher of a master class say, “If you’re not changing, you’re not growing. And if you’re not growing, you’re dead.” Change is an important part of life. In fact, we could probably go so far as to say—to be alive, is to be in a constant state of change.
To be alive, is to be in a constant state of change.
With this in mind, this month on the blog we are going to talk about Change. The Changes we want, the ones that feel like they will never happen, and those that creep up on us unexpectedly. We’ll officially kick this series off on Monday, but for now here are some thoughts and resources on change to get us started.
Love
One of the things I love to do when I am facing a change, is to journal. As I shared above, change gives me all the feelings, and it is good to have a healthy place to express them. For me, it looks like talking to Tony and/or journaling them down in a notebook. The benefit to the latter, is that I can look back and see all the things I was stressing about and remember how God brought me through them better than I could have imagined.
What is one healthy way you deal with change?
Learn
One of the hardest, most important lessons I’ve learned involving change is that people change. Friends change. We change. Sometimes our friendships change and grow along with us. Sometimes, they don’t. When they don’t it can be very painful. But that doesn’t mean there is anything wrong with us or them. It just means a season in our life is coming to an end. And the best thing for us to do is try to part in love. To wish our friends well, and to leave the door open if ever our paths cross again.
Have you ever experienced change in your friendships?
If so, what was the hardest part?
Lead
“I’m convinced of this: Good done anywhere is good done everywhere. For a change, start by speaking to people rather than walking by them like they’re stones that don’t matter. As long as you’re breathing, it’s never too late to do some good.”
—Maya Angelou
Do you also wish for good change in our world?
How can Maya’s words inspire us to “be the change” right where we are?
Are you experiencing change in your life right now? Does your mind feel cluttered will all that this change could mean? If so, sign up for my email list and get your FREE copy of my Five Steps to Declutter Your Mind, to help you find clarity and peace on this journey.
