Change is difficult test of faith, but it can be freeing
Some individuals welcome change and adapt easily, while others have to walk through and understand the change before they can move on in life. Having recently experienced personal, work and family changes — all at the same time — I realized the change process is a spiritual, inner approach to aligning your values, desires and beliefs with your life purpose.
Throughout life, we experience various challenges in varying degrees. Our response to these challenges mold us into the person we are today. My recent challenges caused me to pause and re-evaluate my faith and ability to accept and manage change from a spiritual perspective. Most of us defensively or passively react to change — letting it manage us. When change is managed from a spiritual experience, an individual recognizes the need for change, becomes still with the issues, stays present in the moment, taps deep into the heart for spiritual for direction, and lets the process take its course. Yes, that’s a tall order.
You might currently be in the midst of change — loss of a job, a pending divorce, an unexpected diagnosis, loss of a relationship, experiencing fear or disappointment or loss of a friend or family member. All of these situations cause us to put life on hold while we react and readjust to reality. As a family law attorney, I would tell individuals that no matter how much you want a divorce, it will hurt until you walk through the process and get on the other side. You can’t leap through the change process or rush it. Change is a process, and as such, there is no magic wand. During the change process there is no easy way to avoid the elements and no one approach works for everyone. There are, however, some common elements that when intertwined with our faith, produces a welcomed knowing that “all things work together for our good.”
In my recent challenge to make changes, my first reaction was disappointment then, self-imposed fear, and lastly, surrender out of sheer exhaustion. In finally accepting that the change was trying to get my attention to do things differently, I was able to recognize the needed growth and how change was the impetus to move me closer to God’s purpose for my life. When you encounter the need for change, it may be helpful to slow down and listen to your spirit trying to guide you. Recall the acorn that becomes a tree, the seed that becomes a flower, the caterpillar that becomes a butterfly, and the baby that grows into an adult. These processes are all designed to facilitate one’s growth and development and achieves God’s purpose. Our growth requires inner work, stillness, and faith in a grander vision.
In the stillness we become “ready” to make a shift. It is difficult to let go old habits and old ways of doing things in exchange for the unknown. In the stillness we are able to release the tension and open our hearts to the messages that our spirit is trying to give us. Often, the message will move us forward as we listen for divine guidance. In the stillness we can feel hope, courage and anticipation of a more purposeful life. The stillness and our faith create the alignment needed to transform our fears, disappointments and emotions into intentions.
When we walk through the change process as a spiritual experience and get on the other side, we can begin to take small steps to feel better, let go of the past and get in the flow of life. If you are going through a change or transformation, be still and call upon your faith, remembering: “For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
The spiritual experience of transformation is a gift to align you with the life that God has planned for you.