I was talking with a new friend last week about our "stories." As I started telling my story, my friend said "it's seems like you've displaced yourself a lot." I have been thinking about how "displacement" and "change" have been apart of my story for the last several years. The first 18 years of my life were characterized by relative stableness. The same house, same church, same community. I did change schools in the 7th grade; we got new pets; and the sport I was involved with always depended on what time of year it was, but other than these changes every thing else was fairly stable.
Now it seems like everything is new and different. Since my move to Wisconsin, I feel like I have been in a state of constant change. New job, new room, new friends, new clothes (particularly for the winter), new streets, new church, new boss, new weather, new roommates. I met someone on Thursday and as I was going through my spill, ("I'm from Georgia", "I moved here for a job", "No, I didn't really know anybody in Madison...") which I have memorized by now, he mentioned how he has always wanted "to move somewhere new and start all over again and be whoever I want to be." Yes, I think this is partly what entices me about moving. I seem to always have a list of things I want to do better once I move, like: read the newspaper more, pray more, organize better, eat healthier, lose 5 lbs...etc. It's funny how these new "goals" last for a short while and then I'm back to my old habits.
However, I think and want to believe that God is using these locational changes to change me. I don't exactly know how He is doing it, but I've got to believe He is working. Because one thing is true He doesn't change. This Truth is conveyed throughout the Bible.
http://psalm121.ca/versesfaithfulness.html
I was reminded of this Truth last Sunday at Church. The church I am currently attending has experienced huge growth over the last few years and are moving to a new location. Since last Sunday was the last Sunday in the current location, the pastor was talking about transition and God's faithfulness. We ended the service with the song "Great is Thy Faithfulness." So even though even this week I've been tempted to think..."I made a mistake," "I jumped in too soon and maybe even in to the wrong swimming hole," "Does God let you make decisions that are completely out of His will?" I think that at times it takes faith to believe that "The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps" (Proverbs 16:9) and to trust that "Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father" (Matthew 10:29). I think Paul's words describe this struggle of belief during present circumstances best in Philippians when he describes staining toward the goal.
"Not that I have already(AB) obtained this or(AC) am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. 13Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do:(AD) forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14I press on toward the goal for(AE) the prize of the upward(AF) call of God in Christ Jesus. "
Thankfully, God has laid His hand on me; He's taken hold of me; He is faithful, even in my unfaithfulness. There is no move too big for God.
http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/g/i/gisthyf.htm
