Everything changes except God, and letting all the changes in our lives upset us won’t keep them from occuring. People change, circumstances change, our bodies change, our desires and passions change. One certainty in life is change. We don’t mind change if we invite it, but when it comes uninvited, our emotions can easily flare up.
John worked for an investment company for thirty-two years and was sure he would retire from that company. Without warning, whose management decided they didn’t want to keep a lot of the employees, and John lost his job. He feels that he wasn’t treated fairly when he was let go. Now what? John has a choice to make. He can either react emotionally by getting upset, stressed out, anxious, angry and worried, feeling and saying lots of negative things. Or he can act on God’s Word and trust God to be his vindicator and source of supply for every need. It is totally understandable that John has these emotions, but if he chooses to react based on his feelings, then he will be miserable and possibly make the other people in his life miserable. If he chooses to make decisions based on God’s Word, however, he can meet the transition with far less turmoil. Would his anger dissipate right away? Probably not. But if John truly gives his care over to God, his feelings will calm down and he can be confident that God will continue to work in his life, bringing justice for the injustice done to him.
Most changes take place without our permission. But we can choose to adapt. If we refuse to make the transition in our minds and attitudes, then we are making huge mistake. Our refusal to adapt doesn’t change the circumstances, but it does steal our peace and joy. Remember, if you can’t do anything about it, then cast your care and let God take care of you.
For quite some time, Dave has met some of his friends a couple of times a year to play golf for three days. It has been something he really enjoys, but over the past couple of years he has found it necessary to make some changes. There was a time when he and his friends played fifty-four holes of golf for two days and then thirty-six holes the last day, but those days are past. It has become harder physically for him to do that. He’s in great physical shape, but nonetheless, he is seventy years old and very simply doesn’t have the same level of endurance he once had.
While Dave and his friends went to Florida for one of their trips. When Dave returned home he said to me, “This was the last time I’m doing this.” He told me how much hassle and effort it was to get there, and that by the second day his back was tight and he had to rid in the cart and not play part of the time. In addition to that, he was wearing a knee brace because one of his knees was bothering him. He said he would have rather been home. His body is changing, so he mentally transitioned. He told me, “I will still be able to play, but now I will just do it in a different way. The guys can come to St. Louis so I don’t have to travel because they are younger than me. We can play thirty-six holes instead of fifty-four the first two days and eighteen holes the last day.” That still sounds pretty intense to me, but for him it was a big change.His body is changing, and he is changing with it and keeping a good attitude about it.
Dave could have had a “male ego episode” and refused to admit that he was not able to do the golf trips anymore in the same way he has always done them. He could have gotten upset and decided he didn’t like getting older and all that goes with it. But instead he acted on God’s Word and made the transition gracefully. He realizes the day will come when he may need to make more changes, and he has already set his mind that when it does come, he will do so with a good attitude.
Since Dave enjoys his golf tremendously, I asked him how he would handle it if for some reason he could not play anymore, and his answer was amazing. He said, “I would probably be disappointed, but I would remember all the years I did get to play and be thankful for that. I would adapt and find something else to do.”
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