When Circumstances Change
Routine. Security. Dependability. Steadiness. I like all those words because they illustrate what makes my world feel safe. I know what to expect. I have my game plan, and I understand the boundaries. My life was pretty much repetitive day in and day out, working from my cave toward the same goal with my usual activities, but that all changed this past year.
After being a thirty-one-year member of a church, God used circumstances to lead me to search for a new one. We moved my parents to a new town in an independent living community, which consisted of all kinds of adjustments. After serving alongside the best ministry partner in the world, her duties were beginning to change as we looked toward the future.
I felt uncomfortable. My world seemed out of order. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it until I realized that life was unsettled. The biggest change was the challenge of finding a new church. To leave a place that was my comfort zone, where I had served in leadership for most of those years, the faces were familiar, and some of my favorite people attended, became one of my most difficult seasons.
I realized I was more than unsettled; I was untethered. I felt like a balloon floating into the atmosphere. I found myself more disconnected and isolated. I was living outside the confines of what I considered stability. In some ways, my identity and lifestyle had changed. I didn’t have a community group. The lines had been busted around my edges, and I had no idea it would take me over a year of searching and healing to find a new normal. Everything felt uncertain and I didn’t like it.
One day while praying about my search for a new church home and wisdom in leading our organization, God whispered, “You may be untethered in the world, but you’re anchored in me.” My eyes flew open, and I almost needed to slap my hand against my forehead. It was so simple. I knew that truth but just hadn’t been practicing it.
I had been looking out when I should have been looking in. No matter what my circumstances, I am always tied to the one who controls my world. He has me in his grasp, and I can never fall further than his hand can catch me.
Even if I feel like an astronaut floating through space, I’m attached to a line that’s tethered to the spacecraft. I can’t spin out of control. I am safe. God knew this season was part of my journey. He understood it would be difficult, uncomfortable, and challenging, but I would reap the benefits in the end.
Are you feeling untethered? Remember our anchor during a storm and grab your lifeline. He’s got it under control.
