“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope, and a future.” — Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)

Life is about constant change.  Today, the table I have been used to eating upon for so long, got moved to another purpose; It will now be used to display things.  I said, “Bye bye table.”

What type of life-changing moves, big and small have you made?   How have you felt in those times?

For me, a big life-changing move came last summer, in July of 2021. Then along with that move came another life-changing time when I applied for and am now currently working at a laundromat here in town.

People from all walks of life come into the laundromat. They use the self-serve machines or request an order.  Those who stay inside the laundromat while their clothes are being washed often talk on their phones.  It gets to be a soapy opera inside!

I have come to know some of the regulars. There is a widow who comes in at least twice a week to do her own laundry.  She will talk to me, and request different things, like bags, detergent, and fabric softener.  There are also several families that bring their clothes in for a “wash, dry, and fold” order.

It has gotten to where I can tell by their clothes which person placed the order. One couple comes in three times a week with their cleaning cloths, which take up three dryers.  I have come to know the man as “The Rag Man.”

In my own personal life, I have been doing a lot of cleaning, sorting, and throwing away stuff.  Sometimes this gets my emotions to churning.

For instance, my recent changes have meant that I’ve had to let go of a lot of old clothes, backpacks, and some dishes.  Part of me feels like I’m spread around in different places at once.

Sister was saying I needed to go through my own stuff soon—determine what I will take with me and what I will leave behind—in yet another transition soon to come.  Back in July of 2021 that transition seemed far away.  I felt as if I had the time to decide what I want or do not want.  But now that move is upon me.

I have also been feeling the need to go back and get some of the old stuff I left behind.  Because I have been working almost full-time these days, it is just not feasible to go get items that I think I will need for my next move. This next move will come in the wintertime, which is not my best time of the year.

But sometimes making a move in your life is just not convenient, even though it is necessary.  I do know that I am now in a much better place. I am feeling much better. I have hope for my future.  I do not see myself as a bag lady wandering up and down the streets. I have definitely seen the hand of God in working with and through others to make this all happen!

As I write this, I am also noting the end of the Christmas season with Old Christmas or Epiphany, when Jesus was visited by the three wise men. Not too far ahead is the hope of the coming Easter Season, and of Spring, and a return to those 9 p.m. sunsets!  That hope alone is enough to get me through the next few weeks, and onto a most excellent and exciting year in 2022!  I am learning how to embrace new things, and not to “put new wine into old wineskins.”

Neither do people pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst, the wine will run out; and the wineskins ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wine skins, and both are preserved.  —-Matthew 9:17 (NIV)

May you have a healthy and prosperous New Year in 2022!

Questions for reflection and discussion:
What changes have you had to make in your life recently? Which ones have been big? What have been smaller?   How do they compare?

1. How do your emotions get to churning during change? What helps you to cope in such times?
2. Are there things that you have left behind that are especially hard not to dwell upon?
3. Can you see the hand of God working through the past changes you’ve made?
4. What changes might you have ahead of you? How are you preparing, with God’s help, for these?

Prayer:
Gracious and loving God, we give thanks that you are with us through all of the changes in our lives—including the ones that are most difficult for us. 

Help us to grow in times of change, and to feel your presence with us, guiding us and giving us confidence. 

Also in all we do, help us notice and care for one another.  We never know what changes may be going on in someone else’s lives, or if they are feeling like their lives are in pieces.  Help us be kind and compassionate to all we meet, and to ourselves in this season of our life.   In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

May you experience all of the love and hope that God has to offer you!

Carry on,
Marci

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