Change, Yet the Same

Recently my wife and I hosted our annual Christmas party. She is a great cook, and she lays out quite a spread. I cut the grass, lay down new pine straw, put up the tree, and generally try to stay out of the way.  We’ve been doing this for several decades now wherever we have lived.  It’s just one way to say thank you to our church family, and to express our love for them.

            We have had several new church members over the last year, and a good number of those folks came.  One task that I have is to give a tour of our home.  As you walk through our home, as you would expect, we have several photographs hanging. In a very prominent place in our bedroom there is a picture of Tina and me that was taken in the Summer of 1979, just a few months prior to our wedding.  You should hear the comments.

            “Who are those young people?” “Who is the skinny guy there?” “How did you manage to get her to say, ‘Yes?’”  Yeah, I really appreciate that last one.  One person even said, “You have the exact same haircut…just a different color.”  And I can’t argue

            It is amazing how much we change, and yet how much we remain the same in life. Yes, our looks evolve over the years. A gray hair here, and wrinkle there.  We don’t walk with the same spring in our steps.  Perhaps the heart or the lungs or the digestive system don’t work quite as well.  But in so many ways we are still the same person.  I trust that we are growing. But I am still God’s child, and He is still working in my life.

            I pray that He is working in your life, too.  I am convinced of this. God is not through with you or me until that day that we meet Him face to face. He has plans and work for us to do. I pray that you will find that place, and that you will be faithful to walk with Him wherever He leads you.