Changes

Since my sister, Michele got her hubby to be a guest blogger, I thought it only fair that I too have a guest blogger. So, my daughter volunteered to do the blogging this week. Happy reading!

Henry Wadveworth Longfellow once wrote, “All things must change to something new, something strange.” As much as I want to disagree with the man, I must admit, he’s absolutely right. Growing up as an army brat, you would think that change and I are old familiar friends. And why wouldn’t it be this way? The army life is filled with change. Picking up and moving from a place that you’ve become accustomed, waving goodbye to friends you’ve grown to love, and memories are pretty hard; especially when you’re shy like me. Well let me rephrase, I can be shy when I first meet someone but after you get to know me, it’s smooth sailing from there.

After going through the “moving process” about five times, you would think I’d mastered the art of change right? So wrong. I take comfort in familiarity, which has made change my nemesis. Change and I have been going at it on the regular for as long as I can remember. I’ve always focused on the negatives that change brought, leaving old friends, going to a new school, and turning an unfamiliar house into a home. But I had to remember that every negative has a positive, and while change is difficult, it’s also necessary and productive. 2 Corinthians 5:7 says, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” Simply put, when we accept Christ as our Savior we are changed for the better. This just goes to show, that all change is not entirely bad. Graduating from high school, and pretty soon college is a change. Meeting new people is a change. Getting a promotion with a pay raise is a change. Strange and new things can be a blessing in disguise and instead of fighting against all change; we should look at it as an opportunity for God to shine. If things don’t change, they can’t grow. I think of roses. They start out as a seed. The seed turns into a thorny bush. And before you know it, roses are blooming. often tell my friends when they’re going through a difficult change, “Everything will work out… I have a feeling.” If you’re a child of God, take comfort in knowing that everything will work out. Romans 8: 28 states, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”

One major change that occurred recently for me was the passing of my grandpa. My grandpa’s departure from this world has brought much sadness. My grandpa has been a permanent fixture in my life and even though he is no longer in his earthly body he will always be a permanent fixture in my heart. I know that his body has been changed and he is no longer concerned with the things of this world. So while I mourn the loss of my dearly departed grandfather, I take comfort in knowing that he is experiencing a change like no other, a change that only Jesus can give if you accept Him as your Savior.

Our One and Only Sons

I (Michele) was not feeling well this weekend. My very capable husband stepped in to write this week’s blog. Thanks honey!

Have you ever had a surreal, almost out-of-body experience? Sadly, I had such an experience yesterday. One minute my son was fine, playing in the backyard with his cousins, and the next minute he’s being carried into the house – covered with blood with a gash in his head gushing blood. Bit by bit, I received the information about the accident. There was a toy plane. Both he and his cousin wanted it. They bumped heads. The feeling of helplessness was almost overwhelming. I began praying. After wiping up some of the blood, thankfully, I saw God’s grace right after the accident. The cut wasn’t on his face but within his hairline. Plus, his cousin was fine.

Just as I caught my breath, I realized the hard part was yet to come. This was a head injury. So, I had to take him to the hospital. And I had to tell his mom. “There was an accident, our son hurt his head,” I nervously had to tell my wife over the phone. “There is a lot of blood and I am taking him to the emergency room. Please meet us there.”

Later, after talking with my wife, we both had the same fears. “Please God not our son, not our one and only son. We can’t have another. Please don’t let anything happen to him.”

It wasn’t too long before my wife met us there. My shirt was covered with my son’s blood, I was definitely a sight. Praise God, my wife alerted a prayer army. A few minutes later, we were joined by them – our pastor, his wife, as well as a fellow minister and his wife. The prayer warriors had sent the prayers ahead of us to the hospital. The Bible tells us that the “fervent, effectual prayer of a righteous person availeth much (James 5:16).” I am sure our prayers helped to transform the situation. What was a terrible, heart-wrenching experience turned into a lesson in faith. Soon, my feeling of helplessness was superseded by God’s endless capacity to handle all situations. And my uncertainty about our son’s diagnosis was replaced by my confidence in God, who had the final prognosis.

Eventually, the doctor on call informed us of our son’s condition. It was a minor incident and he would be fine. With a prescription for antibiotics and the help of glue (to close the wound), we were all sent home.

The next day, my wife pointed out that the entire incident was a microcosm of the sacrifice of Jesus. She reiterated that God faced this same situation more than 2,000 years ago when His one and only Son was placed in harm’s way for us. You see, our son is our one and only son. In both cases, there was blood spilled and that’s where the comparisons end. God gave us back our son. But God the Father and God the Son didn’t hold anything back. The Father gave his Son completely and his only Son, Jesus Christ, gave his all for us.

Sometimes, Christians fail to realize the enormity of the sacrifice for our sins. When I look at my son’s accident through that perspective, I am even more thankful for Christ, his sacrifice and his enduring love and how the love of Jesus continues to bless us all.