The Fear of Change

Well what do you know… It is the middle of the week, the sun is shining for the first time in awhile and I am expecting to have a great day!  Let me continue with the second lesson that I learned from our midnight escapades the other night.  As I delved further into the cause of the anger surge that I had experienced, I saw that it was caused by a chain of events that had been building up within me.  In being ruthlessly honest with myself, I began to understand that the anger was ignited by the fear of a possible permanent change in my wife’s health which would cause a change in our lifestyle and more importantly, in our relationship.  Most of us do not like change, and especially when there is the possibility of it having a negative impact on our lives.

Numerous years ago I worked for a large electronics firm that was going through some major upheavals.  Our section of the company had just split off from the parent corporation and after more than 50 years as the main contender in its field, was suddenly faced with stiff competition from a variety of smaller firms that were successfully entering the marketplace.  What ensued was a brisk launch of changes in most areas of the business that focused on making us a much more efficient and cost effective manufacturing entity.  

As you can imagine, these changes were met with vehement resistance from a large percentage of the employees.  As a Process Supervisor I was faced with the task of explaining the upcoming changes to my crew, and I literally spent many long hours attempting to answer their many questions and calm their fears.  The most difficult individuals to work with during this time were the workers who had been with the company for a long time.  Many of the machinists in our division had been with the company for over 15 years, and they were very set in the way things had always been.  The fear of having to deal with something new was quite freighting to them.  In the months that followed, many of the workers accepted the changes, while others fought them every step of the way.  Eventually most of us were forced into an even bigger upheaval as the manufacturing plan was totally revised and all production was sent overseas.  This decision sent a few thousand people into a whole new experience of job hunting and lifestyle changes!

Fear of the unknown can be very scary if you don’t have a strong and proven foundation to support you through the shaky times in life.  My foundation gives me the confidence to know that even though times may be rough right now, that the future will prove to be even better than the past.  Therefore, I need not allow fear to take any affect in my life!  Psalm 18:30 assures me that “The promise of the Lord has proven to be true…” (God’s Word©)  Yes, we may have to fight some battles, but we progress forward with the assurance that He will turn our darkness into light and give us the ability to break through whatever barricades that might get in our way. (check out Psalm 18:29)  How do you receive change?  Do you have a strong support under you that can turn your darkness into light?  Think about it.  Stay tuned and keep asking yourself… “What am I expecting today?”

Love Never Fails

I learned a lesson last night that I thought I’d share with you.  It has to do with our two familiar subjects of foundations and change. I had to get up in the middle of the night and help my wife on numerous occasions.  During the last time, which occurred about 4:45 AM, I felt a strong sense of anger rising up inside of me.  This is an unusual emotion for me as I am known to be a fairly relaxed and mellow individual.  When I completed the task at hand and was returning to the warmth of the covers, I began to pray and ask what that feeling was all about.  What immediately came to my inner thoughts was that I was thinking strictly about myself.  I was more concerned about my own inconvenience than the struggle that my precious wife has to deal with on a daily basis.  With that revelation, the anger in me quickly dissipated and I fell into a fitful sleep.

When I dragged myself into my study a few hours later, clutching a much needed cup of coffee, my eyes were drawn to my Bible which I had left open to Psalms 18 the previous evening.  As I read the song that King David had sung to the Lord after being rescued from the hand of his enemies, along with a commentary on the first three verses, I was enthralled with the personal depth of affection that David expressed.  His relationship of love toward the Lord made me stop and reflect on my depth of affection for my wife.  I was reminded about the verse in the Bible that states  that Love never fails. (I Corinthians 13:8 - NIV).  Getting angry hurts everyone involved and usually results in complete failure.  Responding in love fosters a healing environment that will always succeed.  This scripture is talking specifically about the God kind of love.  Which brings us right back into the realm of our foundations. 

I should and can act in love, even when it’s not comfortable for me, because my foundation assures me that His love working through me will never fail!  My wanting to reach out in anger is strictly selfish and self-serving.  Pausing to allow His love to fill me and guide my emotions opens the door for God’s success plan to be the blueprint of my life, as well as affecting a positive influence in the lives of all those around me.  Have you ever thought about what makes you act unbecomingly toward others?  Does your foundation need an adjustment or replacement?  Think about it.  I’ll share my lesson about change in tomorrow’s post.  Until then, stay tuned and keep asking yourself… “What am I expecting today?”

Anticipating Significant Events

Well what do you know… today is Monday the 13^th, and there are 13 more days until Christmas!   There must be something significant about that bit of trivia, but alas… I can’t think of anything!  Have you ever had a day like that, where you think there should be something significant about it, but you just can’t figure out what it is?

Yesterday started out as one of those days for me.  I woke up excited that it was Sunday, and that for the first time in awhile, my wife and I were not teaching another class so that we could participate in the adult service.  I had a feeling that something significant was going to happen, but at first had nothing to base the premonition on.  This is a place where your foundations come into play.  As I have mentioned before, my foundation is firmly entrenched on my faith in the Word of God.  With that understanding guiding me, I began to see that my excitement was derived from the anticipation of hearing God’s Word preached at the morning service.  There is a scripture found in the Bible, in the book of Romans chapter ten, verse seventeen that says that our faith is built up or strengthened by hearing the Word of God.  The significant something that I was sensing was that I was highly expectant of the results of my attending church.  I was not only going to get to hear the Word of God preached, but I was also going to get my faith built up so that I could believe for even greater things to happen in life!  Wow!  It wasn’t just going to be a significant event, it was going to be a spectacular day…  and as I look back this afternoon, I was not disappointed!

You too, can have a greater sense of anticipation (and even control) of good things happening for you each day, as you build your life on a firm foundation that can’t be swayed by the ever-changing events in today’s society.  Is your foundation as solid a rock as The One described by King David in the Old Testament? (see Psalm 18:2)  Think about it.  Stay tuned and keep asking yourself… “What am I expecting today?”

A Time For Change

Early this morning as I was enjoying my personal Bible study time the word change came into my mind.  As I pondered various thoughts about change I was reminded of Albert Einstein who once defined insanity as "doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results."1  Many of us want situations or events in our lives to be different than what they may currently be, but we do nothing to affect a change.  Throughout this week we have discussed looking at life from a different perspective.  To not let the negative influences that may be screaming at you from the moment you awake to determine the outcome of your day. 

Previous to my study time this morning I poured my self a fresh, hot cup of java (yes, I bought some more coffee and half and half yesterday!) and gazed out at the greenery in our large patio.  Just about every plant looked pretty pathetic due to the colder weather and rain… Every plant, that is, except the lemon tree that we have planted in a large container next to the sliding window.  In stark contrast to the dying, shriveled up summer vegetables and some other potted plants, the lemon is green and lush with bright new growth and large green lemons just waiting to ripen up!  That one vibrant and healthy plant gave the patio a sense of life even though everything else looked bleak.

I thought of that example as I contemplated change in relationship to what we are expecting each day.  If we can make just one positive change in an otherwise deteriorating day it can have the effect of turning the overall outcome from failure to success.  Might I suggest that you take a little time this weekend and think about the parts of your days ahead where you might be able to do one thing differently.  It could be an attitude adjustment, getting up a little earlier, not watching that new program on T.V. or simply making the decision to smile when things get somewhat crazy!  One small change could affect a positive influence and give you a great expectation of good things ahead. ...Ah, go ahead and give it a try!  It may just lead to a whole new way of living!  Have a great weekend.  Stayed tuned, and keep asking yourself… What am I expecting today?


1  Albert Einstein. (n.d.). BrainyQuote.com. Retrieved December 10, 2010, from BrainyQuote.com Web site: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/a/alberteins133991.html 

Look For The Color In Life!

I awoke this morning with a determination that I was going to have a good day.  I was not about to let a headache or the dark clouds that greeted me as I looked out the large window over the staircase that rises to our bedroom loft have any negative effect upon me.  So I threw on a sweater, ambled down the stairs, flipped on the heater and headed into the kitchen to brew up a fresh pot of Starbucks coffee.  Well, it seemed that things were not going to go my way as I opened up the cupboard door.  Reaching in I suddenly  remembered that I had run out of coffee beans the previous morning and had failed to pick up a fresh bag!  Turning slowly around I thought about my morning resolution and bravely poured out the day old coffee left in the coffee maker and put it into the microwave.  At the sound of the timer bell I gingerly pulled out the hot cup, poured in a little 2% milk (yuck… I was out of half and half too!), took a sip and looked out the kitchen window.  As I peered up past our patio fence what caught my attention was not the dark clouds or light rain, but the beautiful colored leaves on the tall maple trees reaching toward the heavens beyond our home.  Those bright tones of yellow, red and orange totally captivated my thoughts and instantly brought a warmth and cheer into my morning.  You know… even that first sip of the day old coffee tasted good!

Isn't it interesting how a little color can brighten even the dullest of days?  Do you look for the color in life when things seem to be going contrary to what you desire?  Maybe it doesn’t jump out at you like those trees did for me today, but it is out there all around you just the same.  Keep expecting good things in your life, and don’t be deterred when obstacles may get in the way.  Look for the color and after awhile you won’t be swayed by the gray in life anymore!  Stayed tuned, and keep asking yourself… What am I expecting today?

Trusting In Something Greater Than Yourself

As I looked at the weather forecast today I noticed that in whatever part of the country our kids are living in, it is either cloudy and cold or raining and cold!  Doesn’t do much to energize one in the middle of the week does it?  What is your attitude about Wednesdays?  In many of the places that I have worked through the years, Wednesdays were usually the worst day of the week for my co-workers.  If they could make it through “Hump Day” then they were half way through the week until the weekend!  Does this sound familiar to anyone?  For many people, their thoughts and plans for the weekend is the life vest that carries them through the drudgery of the work week.

Yesterday we discussed enjoying each part of your day.  Today let’s look at enjoying everyday of the week.  Everyday can have something in it that can be meaningful and pleasant for you.  Once again, it all depends on what you are expecting to happen.  I remember a lesson that I learned many years ago while taking an economics class at the Santa Rosa Junior College.  I have to admit that I just didn’t understand what the professor was trying to teach us.  When the time came for the final exam I was in a panic as I did not want to end up with failing grade.  My wonderful girlfriend (who’s now my wife!) came to my rescue as she shared a scripture with me about casting all my cares upon the Lord because He cares for me (I Peter 5:7).  She told me that I needed do my best in studying for the exam and that He would do the rest.  Well, her counsel worked for I had a peace that helped to set aside my fears as I studied and began to have some revelation about the subject material.  When the day of the test came I walked courageously into the auditorium, opened up the test booklet and went (somewhat) confidently through the test.  I am happy to report that I passed the test and received a “C” as a final grade.  Considering how I struggled with that class, the final grade was like an “A” to me! 

So what’s my point?  I learned the importance of placing my trust in a higher source.  One whom I have increasingly come to depend on for the results of every situation in my life.  When I put my trust in Him for that economics test, my expectations of passing the class soared from utter impossibility to the real possibility of success!  Why?  Because I was no longer depending on my own limited understanding, but on The One  whom I believe knows all things!  I may not always have a clear idea of  what each day of the week may hold, but I do know that the promises in God’s Word say that good things will happen as I continue to put my trust in Him.

So it’s raining, cold, wet and miserable outside… so what… I still have high expectations that good things will happen for me today!  What about you?  What if you have some tough things facing you on the job today, or an exam or presentation at school?  What are you basing your expectations on?  What is the foundation that you have to help you through the situations in your life?  Are you living a guessing game, or do you have that same peace that goes beyond your understanding (Philippians 4:7) that a 19 year old kid received back in 1973?  Stay tuned and keep asking yourself… “What am I expecting today?”

Looking at The Overall Picture

This spring was the first time in many years that we had an opportunity to plant a garden at our home.  Both my wife and I were very excited as we remembered the large vegetable gardens that we always had when our kids were growing up.  This year was different in that we now live in a cluster type home with two patios.  This meant that we were limited in what we could grow and where we could plant.  After analyzing the sun’s patterns in the two yards we decided that the larger patio off the dining room was the right place to plant the garden.  With that decision behind us we then went to work preparing the area for the planting.  It was kind of a long and difficult task as we first had to do some major trimming on a large tree that was blocking most of the sun from the proposed garden area.  But we didn’t mind the effort as we kept the end goal of delicious home grown tomatoes and zucchini’s in our minds throughout the workout.  Finally the tree was trimmed, the ground was turned and amended with soil additives (ie; manure – the dog loved this part!) and the tiny green plants were tenderly placed in their assigned areas. From this point on the excitement began to build as we worked through the daily routine of tending the garden and watching the plants grow from small sprouts into large, green leafed specimens that reached toward the sky! 

Well, due to a cooler than normal summer and a little too much shade in the patio area,  this year’s garden fell short of the quantity and quality of vegetables that we had hoped for.  Would we do it again next year?  You bet!  For each part of the process involved in preparing, planting, tending and then enjoying the harvest, no matter how small, was well worth the effort.  My wife and I were able to work together on a project throughout the spring and summer months.  We experienced the joys of watching the garden grow and then relished the satisfaction of eating the fruits of our labors.  We expected for good things to come from the activity and we were not disappointed with the results of the overall project.

Sometimes when we examine the results of a project, or the events of a day, we may be too quick to judge its success or failure when we look strictly at the end results.  As with our garden project this year, you have to look at the entire package in order to qualify the final rating.  Don’t let a less than perfect finish take away the joys that you experienced throughout the event.  By enjoying the various stages of your day you can still come out on a positive note and end the day with a winning attitude!  Stayed tuned and keep asking yourself… “What am I expecting, today!”