Change is Inevitable!

Change Is Inevitable!

Two months, just two months ago we came to the mountains.

There have been so many changes – changes in the beauty of nature, changes in our daily routine and mostly changes in our hearts.

When we first came to the mountain on June 4, the pasture grasses were yellow green from lack of water. The under growth was crunchy and dry. The fishing was poor, but I don’t know the reason for that. The rules of the campground were dictated by a Level 2 Red Fire alert so there were no fires, except for the ones of a propane stove.

We arrived needing rest. Our daily routine consisted of taking our coffee under the awning, walking through the campground several times a day but mostly we sat and rested, and we were content with that.  No TV, no internet and very little phone or text messaging.  We read, we talked, we prayed.

Our interaction with other campers was limited to a polite “hello” and “where do you come from”.

But two months have gone by, and we have changed and so have our surroundings.

Yesterday was day number thirty-two of rain. The rains began to lightly fall on July 1. They have continued to increase in the amount of daily rainfall. A normal, good shower would last an hour – soaking in and cooling the temperature but yesterday it was an all-day rain.

Oh, what a refreshing!

As we talk with campers who are heading home, they are sad to leave. “We can’t wait to come back. It’s beautiful here. We love the rain, the meadow grasses, the wildflowers, the mushrooms, the wildlife”. That’s not the reaction of one or two but it’s the sentiment of most.

“The land that you will get is not like the land of Egypt that you came from. In Egypt you planted your seeds and used your feet to pump water from the canals to water your fields like a vegetable garden. 11 But the land that you will soon get is not like that. In Israel there are mountains and valleys, and the land gets its water from the rain that falls from the sky. 12 The Lord your God cares for that land. The Lord your God watches over it, from the beginning to the end of the year.

13 “The Lord says, ‘You must listen carefully to the commands I give you today: You must love the Lord your God, and serve him with all your heart and all your soul. If you do that, 14 I will send rain for your land at the right time. I will send the autumn rain and the spring rain. Then you can gather your grain, your new wine, and your oil.” Deuteronomy 11:10-14 ERV

Not only has the land received rain, but our hearts have also been moistened with love and compassion. People we didn’t know two months ago have become friends that we know we will share a connection with for years to come.

Campers that we only see for a few days and are gone have filled us with meaningful conversation and opportunities for prayer.

Two months.  Two months of change. God appointed change!

When we open the doors of our heart, when we follow the Father’s lead, He sends “rain”, the rain of His love and compassion, and we go from dry to refreshed.

This refreshing doesn’t just come from being in the mountains and it isn’t exclusively for us. Not in the slightest! The Lord wants to shower all of our lives with His goodness.

The change He brings is wonderful and inevitable!

It Never Gets Old

Sometimes we take things for granted. They become mundane or expected. Things lose their ability to inspire and/or be appreciated.

Several years ago I damaged my back and lived in constant pain for over two years. Since that time I have never taken a pain-free day for granted. It is something I am always grateful for.

I had a friend who was once homeless. Devastating circumstances had them on the streets with no place to call home. She was young and felt completely alone. She told me that sleeping in her car night after night brought on a depression she thought she would never be able to break. Then a kind and loving person took her in and gave her a place to stay. She says she remembers that first long, hot shower – it was life affirming. She has never taken living in a home, with clean sheets and warm water for granted again.

Maybe you’ve had experiences like these or something similar. These memories are triggers of joy – not for the circumstance but for the deliverance from them.

“Everything good comes from God. Every perfect gift is from him. These good gifts come down from the Father who made all the lights in the sky. But God never changes like the shadows from those lights. He is always the same.” James 1:17 ERV

Our Father is the giver of every good gift!

We should be living life expectantly; never taking these gifts for granted. Look for the joy in each day, the opportunity to give and to share what the Lord has blessed us with.

Each time I see a sunset like I did last night or watch the sunrise over the pines, my heart is filled with wonder and awe that the God who paints the sky is my Father and He fills my life with blessings.

That truth, dear friend, never gets old!

When Things Don’t Go As Planned

Some things in life catch us off guard! Now what?!

This week some friends of ours definitely had an unexpected circumstance to deal with. Lightning struck a very large ponderosa pine tree near their 5th wheel trailer. The tree exploded! Pieces of wood were thrown through the air, some landing over 200 feet away from the damaged tree.

One piece, weighing several hundred pounds went through the front of their trailer. What do you do?

Thank God they weren’t home at the time and especially thankful that no one was injured. There were other trailers in the same area, along with a number of vehicles but none of those were damaged either.

What a mess!

“Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me.” Psalm 23:4 NLT

As friends you give them a shoulder to cry on, offer your help in cleaning things up and then listen while they talk through what they need to do next. And you pray…

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7 NLT

When we don’t have the answers, God always does. He can be trusted to make a way provision. In all of life’s unexpected circumstances place your trust in the Lord.