“Come unto Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart,  and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30″

“I, the Lord do not change….”    Malachi 3:6

“…Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are Mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior….”    Isaiah 43:31-3

Life is a series of transitions. Transitions from picking up toys and cheerios to arranging carpools. From one job to the next. From one crisis to another. From getting out of shape to committing to being back in that gym. From cooking and cleaning to enjoying time with friends and family. From slower days of summer to new beginnings of the school year.

Honestly, I don’t do transitions well. I like to hold back, to step back, and to ponder the change rather than diving deeply into the new arena. In a few days, I will be sending my oldest back to college; this time he will be arriving as a sophomore. My middle will begin his senior year as my youngest will begin high school. Wow! Where has the time really gone? Oh, time, would you just stop for a minute and let me catch my breath? Would you slow down what is coming across my plate so that I savor the details: the hugs, the laughs, the busyness, the presence of simply having them all home in the nest? Would you, time, allow me to have more?

No more is given. It cannot be. 24 hours. Staggering. God has generously given to each of us the same amount! How do we choose to live it? Anxious? Busy? Depleted? Exhausted? Grateful? The offer has been given; He offers us REST. Rest in Him, even if our worlds are chopped full. In the midst of these transitions, He does NOT change. Let that sink in: everything changes around us. The seasons. The kids’ growing up. The gray hairs. The jobs. The marriages. The towns around us. He doesn’t. And, He is with us! The real Jesus, who left heaven to be born a messy, little human, IS WITH US. So….His offer is provocative. He promises us Rest in the Unchanging One and Presence in the Unchanging One. All you need is to recognize your need. It’s really that simple; but so often, we allow our idols of control or looking like we have it together, to rule the day. How different would our days be if we operated out of that place of needing HIM regardless of how the schedule appears!

Let’s look at the “what’s ahead” with eager expectation today! Let’s all know that we are not alone in this ever-changing cosmos and that we are safe in Him. There’s no telling where the track is headed; but, I for one, am choosing to be on it.

What are the looming transitions overhead this day in which we are wasting time fretting and not trusting? From the boardroom to the home, let’s glance in His direction and anticipate just what He can do through us. Oh, this day, may WE each be conduits of His grace, mercy, and kindness in a world needing what only the gospel offers. May God Himself meet us in our real, authentic selves. The world doesn’t need our phoniness, but our genuine selves found only in HIM. Collapse in His Grace!