I don’t know if we share the mutual agreement that Change sucks. It just does. I have heard many people say they don’t like change, so I am pretty sure I am not alone in this. I know that every NEW YEAR we re-evaluate our lives and always decide that come January 1st we are going to change. We are going to join the gym, start eating healthy, get rid of bad habits, bad friends, be better to ourselves, start reading more, spend less time watching tv, go back to school, get a dog, cut our hair, get a new job, or whatever resolution we had planned. Reality is we rarely stick with it because we hate CHANGE! Change is uncomfortable even if it’s for our own good.
I remember as a teenager, I came home from school and my mother had a big surprise for me. She told me to go into my room and I would see me surprise. I expected something exciting.. a present, a dog, a cat, anything besides what was behind my bedroom door. I remember running to my bedroom with my mother close behind me. I held on to that doorknob looking back at my mother with a smile on my face as she excitedly smiled back at me. I flung that door open with great enthusiasm to what was the worst surprise I ever laid my eyes on. SHE REARRANGED MY BEDROOM! My big smile that had once been plastered on my face turned into the biggest look of disappointment. My bed that was once next to the wall was in the middle of my room.. my dressers were moved, my pictures moved, EVERY SINGLE THING was changed around in my room. I fought back the tears. I couldn’t even hide my disappointment. I remember saying things like, “I won’t be able to open my closet door because my bed will be in the way.” My mother would ensure me that she took all that into account as she reorganized my room. I can’t even begin to explain to you how upset I was by this little thing. It seemed as though my whole world had just been turned upside down. I was so upset that I could barely talk to my mother who had worked all day on my bedroom, I am embarrassed to admit that I threw a silent but deadly tantrum. I would like to tell you  to keep in mind that I was just a teenager but I am not sure that my reaction wouldn’t be the same today. Why? Because I HATE CHANGE!
There is good news though. It turns out that the rearranging of my room was the best arrangement of furniture ever. I had this huge window that was on one wall of my room and every afternoon around 2:00 the sun shone in my room and the sun would land right on my bed. My bed became the fight for each member of my family to have an afternoon nap in because the warmth of the sun made it so delightful to lay in and rest. I still miss naps in that room. I ended up loving the set up of my room and never regretted it.
I tell this story because I have been reflecting on what is to come in 2015. For myself I hear the words “Change!” Change is coming and this scares the hell out of me.. quite literally.  I believe for many this is the same. Change is coming. At first we look back at 2013 and 2014 and we think, BRING IT ON, I am soooooo ready for it but what happens is when we are actually faced with “change” we want to throw one of those `silent but deadly` tantrums and decide life is better with what is known than what is unknown so we stay comfortable and retreat from change.
The word CHANGE has been so big in my heart for 2015, that I looked up the word in the dictionary. This is the meaning: To transform or convert.
If we would but embrace this Change that is coming (as scary as it may be), our lives are about to be transformed. There is hope! If we would embrace this scary but much-needed change that is calling us for 2015, maybe it would be the much-needed rest we need for our lives. That if we would cling to this change that seems so overwhelming and paralyzing, that it would be the change needed for us to lay down in the warmth of the sun and finally be able to rest again. I am not saying it’s going to be easy but I am thinking that it is needed for you and for me. We were created and designed to be able to change, therefore we have the ability within in us to embrace it!
I know 2014 has been a rough year for so many. My prayer for you is that you would be able to rest again, breathe again, move on past deep hurts, laugh again and to finally be able to rest.

Get ready for change (it`s a good thing remember) in 2015. Happy New Year!