To Change or Not To Change...

...That is the question.  Or not. 

Yes, you see that I have drastically changed the appearance of my blog. 
No, I am not asking whether or not I should. 

...That is not the question.

However, as so many changes are going on around me these days, from moving into a new house and out of a storage unit to finding out my sister who has a four-month-old baby girl is now expecting another baby almost exactly a year from when this precious one was born...as all of these things and more are going on, I am again contemplating how life is just full of changes.

Change is inevitable.  Change can be good...or not.  Change can be joyous and bring peace...or it can be unbearably grueling and uncomfortable. 

People change...though some don't change as much as we think they should!  Looking back I am thankful for the changes in my life and in who I am.  I am me and always have been, though over time I have become different in many ways...hopefully better.  I once thought I was fine just the way I was.  I had it all figured out.  Thankfully God knew better and directed (sometimes forced) me down paths that inevitably shaped me more into who I am intended to be.  And He is still doing that.  Aren't you glad!?! 

So, that kind of changing in people is good...but what about when people don't remain true to their word?  What about when they change their mind and/or change their plans and it affects you and me?  What about when they go back on their word after making promises and sealing them with handshakes, pinky swears, or even more serious tokens such as wedding rings?  Those kinds of changes hurt.  No two ways about it.  They are hard.  They are most often unfair and even unexpected.  Are you one who has been on the receiving end of this kind of change?  Even more to the heart of it...have you been on the giving end of this kind of change?  I can safely venture to say that you (& I) have been on both sides of this situation any number of times in our lives.

I can't fix the hurtful situations for you.  I can't promise you things will always go the way you want them to or think they should.  I can't promise you people will be fair to you throughout the rest of your life.  I can't even promise you that you will be fair to those who are important in your life from this day forward. 

One thing I can promise you...a time-tested truth and promise to stand on.  Our God...Our Father...Our Daddy...Our Lover of Our Soul...HE NEVER CHANGES!  HE IS FAITHFUL TO HIS PROMISES TO US...HIS CHILDREN...HIS BRIDE...ALWAYS!!! 

I know...you may be going through some things that cause you to question all of that, including His very existence.  I have been there, too.  Not too long ago.  But, here I am, in just a short time from being flat on my back feeling hopeless, helpless, pointless, and purposeless...here I am telling you all of this with more assurance than I have ever had in my entire life, even going back to the times when I had all of the Bible knowledge I thought I could ever have and was even teaching others about the Bible.  Even then, I did not know Him in the true-grit, honest and real-to-the-core way that I do now.  It took that in-the-depths-of-despair point in my life to strip away all of the pretension and assumption of my previous life and force me to get real with Him so that He could be Real with me. 

And now I can say to you and to all who can read and hear what I have to say...GREAT is HIS Faithfulness...He changes NOT...and His Compassions NEVER fail.  His Mercies are NEW EVERY MORNING!  No matter what you did last night or a few minutes ago...His Mercies are New!!!  Though weeping endures through the night, JOY comes in the morning! (Psalm 30:5)  He is so merciful, forgiving, and gracious. 

He is KIND.  It's His Kindness that leads to repentance...do you get that? (Romans 2:4) Once you really get in a real way how Kind He is...you can't help but see how kind you are not...you just can't help but repent.  And when you do, it's His blood that brings forgiveness.  Once and for all.  He died to wipe us clean because He is also righteous and pure and just and someone had to pay the required price/penalty for our sin in order for us to ever be welcomed into His presence.  And He did...His Son did.  That is Amazing Grace!  Undeserved.  But...a fulfilment of so many promises...promises to which He will always remain faithful.  His anger lasts only a moment, but His favor lasts a lifetime!  (Psalm 30:5)

Aren't you thankful that we can change...and that He doesn't!  That's not a question, by the way!

I leave you with something you really just need to read for yourself...click HERE.

Then, you also really need to watch this...trust me...click HERE.