Be Faithful and Pay Attention
Navigating Change Part 3
Our neighborhood groans with growing pains. What was once acres of wooded land on the south end of our small suburban slice of life will soon sprout a field of new houses. Eighty-four of them to be exact. I'm not going to pontificate about the pros and cons of new development adjacent to our almost sixty-year-old neighborhood. But I do want to state the obvious. Things are changing.
Our house is located a couple of blocks away from all the action so I cannot see the transformation until I take a walk or drive out of the neighborhood. The machinery has been eating through the forest for about a month now. Every time I see the skyline, I'm shocked. My eyes startle at the barrenness that has replaced the view I enjoyed for twenty-four years. I haven't assimilated my expectations with the new reality.
My energy and moments are limited, so I want momentum on what matters. I want to move forward with grace and purpose.
Our house is located a couple of blocks away from all the action so I cannot see the transformation until I take a walk or drive out of the neighborhood. The machinery has been eating through the forest for about a month now. Every time I see the skyline, I'm shocked. My eyes startle at the barrenness that has replaced the view I enjoyed for twenty-four years. I haven't assimilated my expectations with the new reality.
The same is true in my life. The scenery is changing and my perspective hasn't caught up. I'm still embroiled in the day-to-day mothering, meal-preparing, homeschooling, errand running, and general keep everything together(ing). But I'm no longer nursing and diaper changing and moving with a toddler attached to my hip. I seem to have a little room to breathe. I may actually have a choice or two about filling some time, pursuing some worthwhile endeavor. But I'm not sure what that should look like.
In the last post we focused on being aware of and cooperating with God in a new season. But after the recognition and acceptance we still don't always see the bigger picture. Often there's a lull between what was and what's next. We walk around the block a couple of times, but still aren't sure what is most neighborly in this new neighborhood. Here are two suggestions:
Photo by Larimar Lens
Be faithful in the fundamentals. It's always good to fall back on the basics. Love God. Love others. Dig into the disciplines. Be steadfast in the ordinary. Do what you know to do.
Pay attention. At the same time, I'm reinforcing the fundamentals, I want to look, listen, and connect the dots. Seek the Lord in prayer and in His word. Be sensitive to His subtle invitations. Perhaps there's a summons to gently serve. An opportunity to befriend or encourage. An offer to rest and receive renewal after a period of upheaval and uncertainty. And always the sure call to "be still, and know that [He] is God" (Psalm 46:10 ESV).
After the familiar has been knocked out and life looks strangely barren, it would be easy to panic or ping pong from one possibility to another. But those responses just leave me confused and without focus. My energy and moments are limited, so I want momentum on what matters. I want to move forward with grace and purpose.
So, I pay attention and pick someplace to start. A group of young moms meeting at my house. An occasional post on this blog. A little giving out what God has put in. I can't do it all, but I can begin.
Faithful, with eyes wide open.
