When your tower falls...........

I am so grateful for the time that I get to spend with my grandchildren.  Some Mondays (when Gwen is teaching preschool and Anna is attending preschool), I get to just be a kid with Lia, Ellie and Zeke.  On this day Zeke and I had been playing dominos - actually just matching the patterns.  But it was a fun time just talking with Zeke.  When we had played several rounds of matching, Zeke decided to build a tower.  I watched his careful thought process as he began the stack...

and his concentration as it got higher and higher and more unstable.  Until finally....

it all came tumbling down.    

I have been thinking about all the changes that are happening in my world right now.  Ken has only a few short weeks of work until he retires.  And these last weeks have been really difficult for him, as his entire work space has been packed up and shipped across the country.    

So for him, all those years of working seem quite a bit like Zeke's tower.  Built up, year after year.  One company leading to the next company.  Thinking he had a few more years to add to that tower.  When suddenly,  it all came crashing down due to a decision made by his employer to move the company out of Illinois.

I am extremely proud of Ken and thankful for his decision to just move up his retirement date (by a couple of years).  Right now we don't know exactly what things will look like after January 1, but I am confident that we will just start building a brand new tower!   We are looking forward to more time to travel.  Ken is certainly looking forward to more time for photography. It is amazing how adjusting your perspective can change everything!  Instead of being a really negative thing, this new phase of our life has the potential to be really exciting.  We are very blessed to have adequate resources to allow us some freedom in making plans.  I am grateful that we will have even more time and opportunity to spend with our family.  

Zeke had the right idea.  As soon as that tower came crashing down, he set to work building an entirely different kind of structure.  Sadly I did not capture a photo of this new building.  But it looked nothing like his first tower - yet it was wonderful.  I left Zeke happily building to go and make lunch.  I have spent many minutes thinking about this day and those domino buildings.  Isn't this a great reminder for us all.  

If you feel like your life has been knocked over and all you see are pieces laying on the ground, take a cue from Zeke.  Just stop and imagine all the wonderful things that you can now build.  Your new life might not look anything like was it was.  But just think about all the amazing things that you can create out of the pieces that are there.  With the help of Jesus, we can do wondrous things!

I love these verses from The Passion Translation -  Psalm 55:16-17

But as for me, I will call upon the Lord to save me, and I know he will!  Every evening I will explain my need to him.  Every morning I will move my soul toward him.  Every waking hour I will worship only him, and he will hear and respond to my cry.

So with God's help, I am looking forward to new and wonderful things in 2018!

Jesus, thank you for reminding me that something great can come out of what seems like destruction.    Help us all to keep our eyes on your purposes and to see beyond our current circumstances.  Holy Spirit, give us all creative ideas as we look at those broken pieces and give us peace as we begin to build something new.  Thank you for always hearing AND responding to us, Jesus.  Amen

Day three - thankful for the time change

Day three of thankfulness  - Today I am thankful for the time change.  I am one of those people that really enjoys the extra hour of sleep with the fall time change.  But, with truth telling here, I also DREAD the spring time change! (I seem to always have a problem adjusting to the jump ahead)  At any rate, today was one of those really pretty fall days.  The sky was so blue and the air was crisp but not cold.  The sun was shining brightly.  And we had an "extra" hour!  So, in order to be outside and enjoy some of this fleeting nice weather, Ken and I decided to clean up the outside summer things and also prepare for winter.  This included putting lots of stuff up into the attic in the garage.  And, can I share another thankfulness - let's call it 3.5?  I am so thankful that we have storage in our attic.  It is really bittersweet to see those beach chairs and that float go up in the attic. But because of that attic, we have plenty of room to put a car in the garage, and still have room for that snow blower! On one hand I love summer, but on the other hand, I also love the change of seasons.

Which brings me to what is on my heart tonight -  change.  I don't know about you, but I find change very difficult.  No matter what the change is.  Even when you know that after the change, things will be better.  But going through a change is, well just plain uncomfortable.    Over and over I have been hearing that this is a new season of change and that everything we have had, will be different in the future.   Yes, it seems that Jesus is bringing about a change in how things operate.  I don't really know what that means, but I do know that Jesus is in control!  And when he changes things, it will be good!  So, join me in praying that all of us can rest and be at peace even when things around us are changing - the seasons, the time, a job, your family, your church.  A very wise person said "the only thing that you can always count on is that everything will change!" In spite of all the changes, I am secure in the knowledge that Jesus never changes.  There is great comfort in that.

Jesus,  thank you for a wonderful fall day.  You are the source of our peace and joy, even when things around us seem so upsetting and so unfamiliar.   Holy Spirit, bring us all into your rest so that we can not only "get through" these changes, but thrive as we sail on into the new season.   Jesus, thank you for the wonderful, amazing new things that you have for us, just ahead through that open door.  Holy Spirit, thank you for encouraging us to walk boldly out into those changes.   Amen