As someone who doesn't find change particularly easy I was challenged by Roy's talk today. I too find the scene from the passion where the disciples struggle to cope with the supposed loss of Jesus very enlightening and encouraging. They were real people who didn't really understand what was going on and where their Lord had gone (I'd recommend seeing the clip if you can). Out of this there was disagreement, disillusionment and disappointment and as Roy said a desire to return to something familiar. Often we can convince ourselves that it is better not to change and stick with what we know but sometimes it is through change that we can grow in our knowledge and understanding of God (even though He may decide we are to learn through not changing when we might want to!)
I suppose the key is to be prepared to wait for the right moment and listen to what God is saying/prompting and not to try and force the change or make it happen quicker/slower than it should.
What are your experiences of change or not change, if you have the time we would welcome your thoughts.
3 comments:
I expected to change my job several years ago as I was becoming increasingly unhappy. I tried very hard to listen to God and eventually decided that He actually wanted me to stay and wait for things to improve. They did, and I am now happier than I have ever been in my working life. It was very hard to sit tight, but it was the right thing to do. Somtetimes God wants us to stick with uncomfortable situations, and that can be as difficult as accepting change. But if we really believe that He has a plan, we can follow Him, whether we change or stay. Good things come to he who waits!
Anita
I have been having a bit of a mid-life moment - not exactly a crisis, but definitely a confusion. Having prayed the Dangerous Prayer; that is the one that says "Jesus use me how you want to", it is a bit bewildering not to really know exactly what he does want.
With my children growing up, and changes in the wider family and my job, it seems very reasonable that the next stage of life looks different to the last, but unless God shouts his directions out loud, I worry that I might miss them. Actually I'd prefer subtle direction really, but just marginally louder so I don't miss it! In the meantime I have been doing some reading, which is very interesting stuff, but I don't want to conjure up anything which is not God's direction for me, by taking on someone elses's pathway; so I have to keep coming back to waiting patiently. It is quite exciting in a frustrating sort of way!
Joe kindly posted Ashley Alive, which I picked up today. Apart from the great title; what a beutifuly designed sight this is.
I feel most priviledged to be making my contribution.
Referring to Roy's talk on Sunday, made pin sharp by the challenge of techno failure. I picked up on the disciples added anxiety of having to wait, as it were, in spiritual limbo until pentecost. We cannot know of God's heavenly processes; but they seem to take, sometimes, ages, when we are not patient.
During that Sunday morning I thought back many years when I first and very excitedly dabbled with computers. I was working as a development eng on 'Hole-in-wall' cash dispensers and to design the logic for these I used a computer.
A huge main frame lodged in the basement of an office block in Gt Portland St. Connect charges cost my bosses a great deal of money which they were at pains to point out. This Hewlet Packard computer, I suspect, was worth more than the building in which it was housed. However in my circuit simulations I had to set delay times for different events. Foolishly I thought I wanted my circuits to work as quickly as possible: I don't need any delays! My first attempts failed, of course.
Time is not, as we say, of the essence: But sequence is everything!
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