Beauty in Change

Change has always been hard for me. I’ve always associated it with both saying goodbye to something good as well as a fear of what the future holds. I usually find myself wanting to just rush through a big change and in a sense “get it over with”. One of the most challenging parts of the Race has been what feels like the constant presence of change. Now, I know that change is a part of life, but on the Race it feels like it is more frequent, extreme, and sudden. We live in a pattern of packing up our whole lives into two bags and heading off to the next place. If my calculations are correct I’ve lived in 15 different “homes” in the past 7 months. We are constantly stepping into new cultures, new types or ways of doing ministry, meeting new people, and living in new environments. To say we have been forced to become adaptable to change is an understatement. And although I have certainly become more accustomed to change, it doesn’t mean it is no longer difficult.

Here in Albania we have had the joy of living just steps away from the sea. It has become a special tradition for us to go swimming at sunset. We love watching the last light of the day reflect an array of reds, oranges, and pinks across the water. One night when I was watching the setting sun I was once again captivated by its beauty. I was struck by the realization that we consider sunrise and sunset to be two of the most beautiful times of each day and it is a privilege to be able to experience them. But they are also the two transition times within a day. They mark the transition from night to day, and day to night. But when we watch the sun set instead of mourning the day and fearing the coming of the night there is a sense of awe and wonder in the time in between. There is a sense that this transition time is precious, it doesn’t last forever and you have to soak up the beauty of the change while it is on display. It is not something you want to rush or wish it would be over already. How cool is it that God has given us two daily reminders that there is unique beauty in the midst of change?

In two days we have another, or rather many, big changes coming up. We are heading to our final continent, Africa! This will be another transition period of stepping into new cultures, new language, new relationships, new ministry, and new experiences. Though I have a lot of excitement around this move, there is still a element of difficulty in change. But, I want to hold onto the perspective that this season of transition and those to come are like a beautiful sunset. That we can choose to see and take in the beauty and good that the Lord has in times of change. That He is in both the hard goodbyes and the uncertainty of what is to come. That God is the only constant and unchanging thing in this life. Therefore, to find Him in the midst of change is to find the beauty in it.

B🤍