Staying Sane in Changing Times

Change swept through our world this week. Some crowed while others cried.

Regardless of your perspective on the results of Tuesday’s election, it serves as a constant reminder that life is constantly evolving.

We both love change and despise it. We love the novelty of vacations, different places, and unique food.  These experiences lift our spirits.

But we despise change when it barges into our lives uninvited. A teenager forced to move because of a parent’s job change results in grousing and silent treatment. A half-century later, adult children, who take away car keys from their aging parents, never garner gratitude.

Times change. How do we navigate changing times?

Stay Flexible

I love the modern beatitude, “Blessed are the flexible for they shall never be bent out of shape.”

Flexible people see possibilities and boundaries. They remember that life is a journey of hills and valleys. Children get sick, cars break down, and jobs change. Climb when you must and coast when you can. Take life in stride. You will feel more content.

Work on what you can.

Changing times seems to straightjacket our options. Many adopt the helpless victim. Circumstances control their lives. In changing times, control what you can. Go to bed on time and get up on time. Take good care of your health. At least, you can make your bed each morning. Small steps give you a sense of control in an out-of-control world.

Wait a while.

Life is a river that flows—the flow ebbs and flows, changing speed and direction. The rapids give way to a mirrored pool. Remember that change means it will change again. I don’t know the future, but I know it will differ in a year. It may be better or worse, but it will be different.

Remember that nothing lasts forever. Both bad and good will end as well. One day, life will end and a new life will begin.

But above all, invest life in what doesn’t change.

Henry Lyte knew that. He suffered from tuberculosis most of his life. He coined a phrase used by many. “It is better to wear out than to rust out.”

As he aged, his health deteriorated. Seeking relief from the cold, he moved to warmer climates. Ultimately, his body succumbed to its frailty. He crawled to his pulpit to deliver his last sermon. His final words were, “I yearn to encourage you to prepare for the inevitable hour that awaits everyone, by promptly recognizing and relying on the death of Christ.”

A few weeks before, he wrote a song. One verse gives me hope and strength when whipsawed by change.

Swift to its close ebbs out life’s little day;

earth’s joys grow dim; its glories pass away;

change and decay in all around I see—

O Thou who changest not, abide with me!

No matter how much change you encounter, hold on to that which never changes.