Friday Notes: And Everything Changes

This coming Monday marks the 37th week point for my pregnant wife. Along with a crazy 8-months that have flown by, it also means that our baby girl is "full term" and could show up anytime now. It means that nearly everything about our day to day lives could change at any moment.

Like so much change, I find that my anticipation for our daughter's birth is a mix of excitement and anxiousness. Big change seems to come in that combination for me. The anticipation of marrying Lauren and our wedding ceremony just over 2 years ago was characterized by this mix, as has every summer since then as we've prepared to move to another country, another apartment/home and make new friends. Excitement and anxiousness.

Perhaps, some of us naturally lean towards one or the other and ignore one. For example, maybe we tend to get anxious and stressed before a change. Any sense of excitement is drowned out by the overwhelming sense of the unknown. Or perhaps we're at the other end. We get so excited about change that we drown out the anxiousness. While on the surface, this second response seems preferable over the first, it might tend to lead to a lack of preparedness or appropriate understanding of what is on the horizon. But maybe not?

Paul does remind his readers in Philippi to not be anxious about anything, but in everything, to approach the throne of grace confidently and lay our worries before our Heavenly Father. Perhaps excitement and anxiousness need to be revisited.

Perhaps, excitement and forethought is a better goal to strive for. Scripture points out that a part of faith is the hope of things not yet seen. The unknown doesn't have to create anxiety. God is guiding and in control of this world - He is always sovereignly at work. There is an element to which we, as believers, are to be characterized by hope and joy - characteristics that, I believe, more readily come from an anticipation and excitement of what God has in store, then an anxiousness of the weight of what's to come.

But forethought is important. As a soon to be dad and mom, my wife and I have spent months thinking about what we need for our little girl when she arrives. Diapers. Clothes. Somewhere to sleep. Her birth certificate and US passport. etc. And, in the same way, as a husband and father, I've already had to secure housing in England, even though we won't need it until the end of September. Perhaps, mixed with excitement, forethought and forward thinking action is part of how we deal with anxiety? Just as we lay things at our Heavenly Father's feet, I think he - just as he called Adam to work - calls us to action to deal with the things ahead of us. There is no room for sitting on one's rear end, saying, "Okay God, you gotta take care of everything" if one has not faithfully done what God has given them the opportunity and ability to do. These opportunities and abilities are part of his provision.  It is the difference between lazy irresponsibility vs. faith that accompanies action. We not throw our hands up. We use the hands, the mind and what God has provided for us already, so that we might be found faithful in using, acknowledging and making the most of how God is working on our behalf.

Last night, a friend told our small group a story about his brother. He had given his brother a car and most of the money he had to help him get started with a job and providing for his family. Rather than take the opportunity to work hard, his brother simply sold the car and spent the money. My friend has had to come to a point where he realized he did what he could for his brother, but his brother also had a choice to use what he had been given. Similarly, God provides for us, but that provision requires our active work and toil - what God called Adam to before the fall.  We are made for work (but, just like God in creation, work accompanied by occasional rest).

Likewise, as we approach change, we have a choice. To choose anxiety or excitement. To choose anxiety or forethought. To choose faith or fear. May we choose to be excited for what God has around the corner of change. May we be faithful to think and plan ahead as much as we are able. And, having done these things, may we trust God all the way through that He has provided what we need now and will provide what we need then. That He will be faithfully journeying through the change with us and he just calls us to actively do the things that we need to do.

Because with every turn of life, it seems that everything changes.