I’ve never liked change, and man, can I understand Rachel’s feelings regarding moving–I hate it. Which is interesting, considering how many times God has moved our family. And yet, when everything else tilts to a nauseating angle, God remains stable. Rock solid. I believe you’ll find my guest Rachel’s reminder of this to be a blessing this Christmas.

Changing Seasons
by Rachel Dodson

Over the last year or so the word change has been a big part of my life. As parents we are always dealing with change.  Our kids grow and change everyday. I know if you have a teen or pre-teen like I do they sometimes become completely different people or maybe even something that isn’t human (haha!). Change comes to us in different ways depending on our stage in life. My changes this past year dealt with a lot of things including moving to a different state.

Moving to a new state is not usually something I would say I get excited about. I had always been afraid of moving away from my family and friends but I started praying about this move when my husband first told me about the possibility of the new job. The Lord gave me a great peace about all of it and I knew that this was the right thing for us. Since moving He has continually opened the door for us. I am very thankful for the move we made.

I know that a lot of people are going through changes that are a lot harder than moving to a new place. Death is hard. Sickness is hard. This time of year makes those things even harder. But I have to remind myself that Jesus is always there.

Within the last few weeks my heart has been so heavy with all of the things going on in my life and in the world. As we work through each change/struggle we might be going through, keep this verse in mind, “For I know the plans I have for you”– this is the Lord’s declaration– “plans for your welfare, not your disaster, to give you a future and a hope” (Jeremiah 29:11 HCSB).

God was there first. He knows your needs. He understands your frustration and pain. God has not and won’t ever leave you alone to deal with the changes or circumstances that you are going through. Count your blessings daily and know that God is right their with you to bring you through it. I know that each one of us has a whole list of things we can be thankful for and cherish this Christmas season.

As we all continue through our crazy lives this Christmas, let’s remember to take a break and count our blessings and embrace the changes the Lord places in our path. Trust in Him and turn over our cares and concerns to Him. He gives the peace and comfort we all need especially if you are going through a tough time this year.  Be the example your kids need to see. Show them what trusting Jesus looks like. 

Change is always there, the world keeps turning.  We as Christians have the thing the world is looking for. Let’s show the world what the peace of Jesus looks like.  Merry Christmas!  May the Lord richly bless you and yours this Christmas season.

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Rachel Dodson is a stay at home mom of two. She loves to read, crochet and cross stitch. She was born and raised in a small town in Tennessee called Pikeville. This year she moved to Mississippi with her family. She is active in her church and loves helping in her community. You can follow her blog for book reviews and stories about life.

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Let’s talk about this: Change isn’t something most people love. And when that change is heartbreaking, we might wonder what God is up to–and why.