Change is a Good Thing

"...I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.  I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.  I can do everything through him who gives me strength." Philippians 4:11-13


Several years ago, I said eight little words that changed my life forever. But before I reveal those eight little words, you should know that I wasn't always the person I am today. God has changed me, He has loved me, and He has saved me from the person I used to be. 

Before my parents separated in the summer of 2001, I lived in a big house on a quiet street. My stomach had never felt the pangs of hunger. Sharing was not a word in my vocabulary. And waiting to use a bathroom was a foreign concept to me. To put it mildly, I was a child who had more than I would ever need and an attitude to match.


It's not often that I think back to those days. It's hard to imagine a life where I was a different person. I was someone who didn't know God. Someone who didn't know pain. Someone who didn't know how cruel the world can be. So, when my mother suggested we look at a mobile home to buy, I spoke eight little words that changed my life forever. "I will never live in a mobile home."

As soon as those words flew out of my mouth, I watched my mother's face change. She said something I will never forget. "You better be careful what you say out loud because someone might be listening."


God was listening. And I know without a doubt that He wanted to humble me. Because we never lived in a mobile home. Instead, we ended up living in a two-room studio. Then I learned what it felt like to be hungry--both physically and spiritually. I discovered that everything in my possession is not really mine. It's God's. I'm merely it's caretaker until someone else comes along who needs it more. The greatest lesson He taught me was how little I need to get through this life. One bathroom for three people to share is not ideal, but it's doable. And it's all we needed.


Change is a good thing. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I still haven't mastered the secret of being content in any and every situation, but I'm a work-in-progress. And God never stops extending His grace and mercy over my life. 

There are days, even now, that I take everything for granted. So, I take a moment to think back to those eight little words and remember that God uses change--good or bad--to change me. These days I try to welcome change, knowing that it's a good thing, if we open ourselves up to embracing it.

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."

Embrace change. We have nothing to fear if God works all things together for our good.






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