It’s 2023… A New Chapter! The Experience of Change!

For many people, stability of circumstances and surroundings isn’t a familiar thing, but for some of us it’s our normal, and Change is a stranger we rarely meet. My family and I have been privileged to enjoy long-term stability in circumstances and relationships, until more recently when Time began to force the reality of change upon us. Even the arrival of children was an expected change that many of us experience and even plan for, but planned change isn’t really what I’m referring to here.

Serving in the local church for decades with familiar faces at the helm, and in the family business a similar picture too, locations unchanged, opportunities unchanged or faced together, all the while on a journey of continued growth with opportunities to increase in wisdom and knowledge if we were open to it. You could say things were ticking along nicely for a long time. Consistently showing up, investing in others, sacrificing time and serving others, all within the same locality, not without value, and much of it with eternal value.

This continuity of surroundings and circumstances could be seen by some as a negative thing, it has however become evident to us in recent months that it is in fact a rare and positive thing, the positives easily outweighing the negatives, in fact it’s something to be cherished and teaches us things that constant change will never teach us. Change has become a new friend we must welcome and accept, albeit reluctantly, and perhaps not as a friend.

TIME was the reality that introduced us to CHANGE starting about seven years ago. Multiple family members retiring from ministry or moving on, and then others retiring from the family business, relocating to new premises, friends moving on, health related limitations, all of these impacting what was familiar. Then for us to step up and take the helm in business, embracing new faces and developing new relationships in ministry, and then the children maturing, becoming independent and the L plates already gone (for one at least!).

Change was an unfamiliar friend not so long ago, but now many things have indeed changed. Our roles have followed a natural progression, our family too, it’s all too familiar to many of us now, and the clock is ticking at the same pace for us all.  Change now embraced, the initial shock and sadness and uneasiness it brought is replaced with a sense of excitement and anticipation as we move forward to new positions and see new opportunities on the horizon.

The new year brings us to a place of reflection about the past and imaginations of the future. This year for us begins after one of the most significant changes for us as we depart from one local church after a lifetime of service to obey His call to move on into a new chapter, the details of which are yet to come clear but by faith…! No doubt this will take some time, but already we see the benefits of past experiences so vital to all that is to come. Change… new relationships, new opportunities, new positions, new freedoms, and most importantly to us, we have new vision, instruction and promises as we walk ahead in faith.

If you’re also navigating change, something that is a little unfamiliar to you too, know that you’re not alone. God is with you and those around you can help you navigate this new thing called change if you’ll just share your struggle, be brave and most importantly put your trust in Jesus (If that’s a new concept that’s ok, it was a strange idea for me too once. Check out the Alpha Course or Christianity Explored where you can find a course locally and explore what it’s all about with others also asking similar questions). One thing we do know is that God is the one constant in it all and has said Himself “I will never leave you, nor forsake you” Hebrews 13:5. We also read in Hebrews 13:8  ‘Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever’.

by Steve | Click here to visit the About page