The only thing that is constant in this life is change.
Whether it’s the addition of a child in a household, sending kids off to school for the first time or to college, a new job, a new house, new neighbors, a new state, the loss of a loved one, we all have experienced significant change in our lives at one time or another.
With our family’s recent move to Albuquerque, NM, my whole life as I knew it changed. New climate, topography, culture, schools, house, cars, food, furniture, job – you name it, most likely it’s changed for us in the last 3 months.
But one thing I realized before heading into this monumental move is this:
There are some rules that I MUST follow for me to be successful.
(Success is defined by different people different ways, but for me it’s related to how much I cry : ) , how peaceful I feel even amidst the storm, and my capacity to serve my family well.)
Rule 1. Keep the constant constant.
There were a few things in my “old” life that remained steady no matter what was happening. Among those were meeting with a regular prayer group and attending Bible study. I knew that my TOP priority in self-preservation through this move was to find these 2 connections as quickly as possible. Thankfully, my God knows my every need, and he provided an amazing group of women from our Christian school for me to connect with and pray with after just a few weeks in my new state! On Mondays we pray and Wednesdays we study. This has proven to be just the grounding I need, even on my very worst (getting lost, having sad kids, missing my friends) days.
Rule 2. Keep the perspective in perspective.
I’ve learned from studying the Israelite people in the Old Testament that we experience dissatisfaction and fear when we forget how God has proven faithful to us in our past hardships. We would be well served to carry this perspective with us on any difficult journey, because it allows us to walk forward in trust. Time has a way of healing wounds, and life moves on. For me, familiarity will come, new favorites will develop, cherished memories will abound – all in a new place! I’ve done it before (3 other times) and with God’s strength, I will do it again.
Rule 3. Keep the focus in focus.
My kids are facing a major move for the very first time. Life is very different; my role is to keep certain things the same. We’ve tried to keep family meals, chores, traditions the same. We also have an unprecedented opportunity to spend quality time together with fewer distractions for now, so as a result we have been on more “family outings” in the last 3 months than during a whole year in MN! They are learning first hand that life will always change, but we will always have our family. As we rely on each other and go through the struggle of adjusting TOGETHER, we realize how lucky we are to have one another. (This is my favorite by-product of the move so far!)
The peace I feel in my heart as I’m thousands of miles away from familiar is in no small part due to following these simple rules. I pray they will help you, too, in whatever change life brings your way.
How do you cope with change? Any formulas for success you could share?