This Saturday we set our clocks forward one hour to begin daylight savings time for 2021. Besides really messing up my sleep patterns for a few weeks, did you know that hospitals report a 24% spike in heart attack visits around the US each Spring? The opposite is true in the fall where there is a 21% decrease. I think this demonstrates just how much one hour of lost or gained sleep can affect the body.
It has been a few months since I have posted anything here. If you have read all my postings you know I do not enjoy writing. I write when I feel like the Holy Spirit moves me too. As I was driving into work Monday, I was thinking about the time change coming up this weekend. It is a change that happens whether we are comfortable with it or not. As I drove, I felt the Holy Spirit speaking to me about the prayers I have about God’s plans for me. I am not sure if you have prayed and gotten answers that you did not like or you just were not sure what God’s response might be, so you just kept praying. That is where I have been the past few months. God is asking me to make changes. It is time that I quit praying for clarification and embrace the change.
When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future. – John 16:13
Others may be able to, but I just can not find the words to describe the emotions that I have experienced over the last several months. Everyone deals with loss or change differently, but the most important thing is that you deal with it. Throughout my career, I have been exposed to a few trainings on The Five Stages of Grief. In many ways, those trainings have been a blessing as I am very self-aware of steps in moving forward through grief; however, I can not speak for anyone, but myself.
I do not fully understand how the passing of Melinda has affected Megan, Brian, or others and I suspect that I never truly will. Those that truly know me, know I have always marched to the beat of a different drummer. The only difference now in my life is I am listening to Jesus, pound that drum. I do my best to walk with him each day. I do stumble, but I know Jesus is always there to catch me and help me back up. Yesterday, a text reminded me that it would have been I and Melinda’s 24th Anniversary. I feel bad that I had not even thought about it until that text. I guess that is part of moving on and not living in the past which I know Melinda wanted for me.
As I continue to move forward with GOD at my side, I can only imagine there will be some that will disagree with the changes I make, some may think or even say I am not ready for such changes, others may just think I am crazy, some may be hurt or offended. The list could go on and on, but the fact is change is inevitable just like changing the clock ahead one hour this weekend. Please know that I have prayed and continue to pray for GOD’s guidance and wisdom in all my actions. If they offend you, bother you, upset you, confuse you, etc., I can only offer you an apology and suggest that you PRAY about it.
I would encourage anyone to embrace change as long as God is the one leading it. After all, God tells us in Ecclesiastes 3:1, “For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven.” I do not understand why certain events have occurred in my life. It is why I love Isaiah 55:8.
I hope that one day Jesus will show me why events occurred the way they have in my life, but until then I take great comfort in knowing “GOD IS IN CONTROL“. He has a plan for me and you. That plan is most likely not what we envisioned. I believe if we will just get out of HIS way HIS plan will be better for us than anything we can envision. It may be a difficult plan to follow, but remember this world is not our home. I pray that you will be open to listening to HIM and allow HIM to use you. I know change can be difficult, but if you keep GOD first it will be a wonderful season even when you can’t see it because you are currently in the storm.
