Embracing Change

During the spring semester of my senior year of high school, I was so ready to go to college and start something new. I was ready for new friends, a new atmosphere and a fresh start. My fall semester at Messiah College couldn’t come soon enough. When I got to college, I was disappointed to find that “new” didn’t feel as good as I had expected. It turned out that making new friends was hard, missing my family was painful and leaving home was not as glamorous as everyone made it sound. Whenever we begin a new year, we talk a lot about change. The truth is, change doesn’t always come in a perfectly wrapped package, but that doesn’t mean we should shy away from it. Even though my freshman year of college was scary, uncomfortable and lonely, God grew me more than I ever thought was possible. When I was sad because my family wasn’t close, God comforted me through His word and reminded me that He is always right by my side. When I felt anxious about all of the new situations I was facing, God gave me peace through moments of silence and prayer.

God wants to do new things in our lives. It may feel uncomfortable in the moment, but He always uses the change to grow us and make us more like Him.

Isaiah 43:19 is proof that God uses change in our life to make something beautiful. God challenges us to be aware of His work by saying, “Do you not perceive it?”

This week I encourage you to identify the areas in your life where God is doing a new thing. Thank Him for the opportunity to grow and become more like Him through that situation.