Following God through Change
Life itself is like a rushing river, always moving, changing and carrying us to new places. We form friendships along the way, meeting others going along the same direction and at the same spot we are at in the river. But the river is uncontrollable and unpredictable, with invisible under currants, rapids, water falls, and obstacles that will send you in directions you hadn't planned on going. At times the river branches into several small streams. Those streams may eventually join back up or become part of another body of water. This also happens in our lives and our friendships as we seek to follow where God leads us.
As Christians, we know that the Spirit of God is like a mighty river. Some of us step in and get our feet wet, others wade out a bit farther, but the one who jumps in to where her feet can't touch the bottom and allows herself to float with the current, knows the thrill and joy of living in and following the Spirit. At times we are in a slow peaceful spot surrounded by the fun & interaction of friendships made along the way. Then the river shifts and suddenly everything changes, it could be that we find ourselves alone going over the falls, crashing into others going through the rapids, or the current has moved us in the opposite direction, away from everything and everyone that we are used to being connected to. It is so easy to take offense when things change but we need to realize that life naturally changes as we each follow God's leading through the seasons of our lives. It is important for our well-being to extend grace to those around us, release them from our expectations, and yield all our desires of how we think things should be to The One who is leading us. Although we may not see the direction He will lead us in the future, or fully understand His intentions for leading us where we are now, we can have complete confidence in the midst of the journey that He has us covered. This trust only comes as we step out in faith, and choose to change our plans to follow Him whenever He speaks to us, do what He directs, and go wherever He leads.
—Tami Gaupp—