Change Equals Growth

Sadly, there is a lot of change happening in the job market right now. Lots of people are losing their jobs left and right. Some with warning, some without. Either way, it doesn't lessen the absolute blow to your stomach when you get "the call".

Just like many others out there, I also lost my job this holiday season. There was a wide range of emotion and a lot of processing. This change came quickly. I wasn't prepared for it. I wasn't expecting it. I was in shock and disbelief.

After a few days of going through my emotions, journaling and praying . . . I came to the same conclusion I always have: Change equals growth.

Believe me! At first, it didn't feel like growth. It felt like a set back, a side step, a brick wall, a swirl of confusion that didn't have a concrete answer. That's when I realized how incredibly distracted I was with worry and grief. It consumed every square inch of thought. I noticed that I needed to take a step back and find the blessing. Search for HIS meaning and not a vague meaning from others.

What was God doing in this moment? What prayer is He answering TODAY that I had asked for weeks, months or even years ago? Whatever it was . . .it was here. It came. The answer. His gift. It came bursting through the door without warning and with a force that took me off my feet.

Life went on and this change didn't stop: the love for my family, the joy from my child, the love from our relatives, support from dear past co-workers and employers, my passion to paint and create, and encouragement from my community. It didn't stop the laughter or the fun.

And I guarantee you, I'll look back three months from now and go, "Ohhhhh! That's what He was doing. Yep, I remember praying for exactly this and He went above and beyond."

It's uncomfortable. Change isn't meant to be smooth. We are learning and growing through the waves of change. And isn't it ironic that once this change settles into something grand, another wave comes and we forget to look back and realize that everything will be okay?

Listen - you've gone through change a million times. Some turned out great, others were blessings in disguise. Either way, you made it through and kept on going. This too shall pass. God has a plan for you and it's going to be more than what you ever could have done with your two hands. Change equals growth. Just wait and see.

Make yourself one promise, though. Promise to recognize that you may be distracting yourself with worry and grief. Take a moment to see what God is doing, notice the blessings, and take a deep breath. And once everything has settled, look back and notice that change equals growth.