“We build statues out of snow, and weep to see them melt.” – Walter Scott
This quote reminds me of the temporal nature of this reality we live in. Our bodies age and die, attitudes change, new ideas emerge and the old is thrown away. This is the nature of our existence. So why do anything if it is all going to fall away?
Simple. We are here to gain experience and learn how to give and receive love. The changes that occur around us provide the necessary tapestry to gain the experience we need. When I look back on my life, it has been an absolute whirlwind.
I have traveled all over the world, experienced some very “exciting” things, from jumping from an airplane, falling in and out of love (multiple times), and learned a great deal from the people I have interacted with across the globe. One of the things I’ve learned is explained by this quote. Change is a part of our reality, but yet, people are the same everywhere.
We all want to be safe, we want our families to be taken care of and protected. We want our children to have a better life than the one we had. I don’t care if you are in Europe, the Middle East, or Asia–the people all want the same things. Sometimes I think God put me in all of these places to learn this fundamental truth.
Yeah, we speak different languages, we have different holidays, cultures, religious rites and rituals, but nonetheless, there are timeless truths that apply to all of us in the human race. Love, safety, improving our circumstances, and taking care of our loved ones are all part of the overarching needs all peoples pursue in one way or another.
Another thing we learn about change is that it isn’t the change that causes problems, it is our inability to adapt to the changes that cause the difficulties we experience. Once we stop fighting change, we relax, and life gets better–it smooths out. This life is all about learning this fundamental concept. The waves of life will hit you in the forms of splitting up, financial woes, health problems, death, and so many other things that just come about. When I realized that I could survive these things and be happy while I survived, my reality changed.
I survived by being creative and maintaining an attitude that I could not control what other people did, what happens in the world, or anything else. The only thing I could potentially control is my ability to accept things as they are, adapting to the changes, and moving forward. The one thing that has helped me do this is depending on something that does not change–God’s love for me.
If you take a moment and realize that God loves you, regardless of the shape or form that IT takes in your life, you’ll find that the change or whirlwind going on around you becomes a joy in your life. Without change, life here would be so boring. The change is what makes our lives worth living. We may not like all of the changes that take place, but change happens regardless of our personal preferences.
Health is good than bad. Marriages are good sometimes and not so good at other times. Our loved ones are happy and healthy and then, one day, they’re gone. No one is immune to the changes that occur in our lives. No one. So, you can either be upset with life, upset with the changes you dislike, or you can wake up and realize that without change life would be mundane, boring, and not as rich as it is now. You will also realize that without change, challenges, and hard times you will not grow. Who is motivated to change just for the heck of it?
We change to adapt to our ever-changing environments. Sometimes we adapt well. At other times we fall on our face. After a time, we get up, dust off our clothes, and start over. We find that after all of our pain, comes a sunrise and we learn that we are stronger, better, and more loving.
I hope this posting finds you well.
Until next time.
Dave
