embrace the journey

change happens so quickly and i, being a creature of habit, have a hard time with change at times. yet, lately i have just been reminded that above all i need to just embrace the journey that God has put me on. i am in the place that i am in for a reason -- a purpose.

i am reminded of the story of esther. there she was, in a place of position where she could have an influence to save her people from death. of course, taking action meant she could be facing death herself whereas if she stayed quiet she would be "safe". and yet while communicating with mordecai she receives this response, "do not think that because you are in the king's house you alone of all the Jews will escape. for if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father's family will perish. and who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?" (Esther 4:13-14) i think this is one of my favorite passages because it says so much. was God going to completely forsake the Jews? of course not -- if esther did not speak out God would have used someone else or saved His people in another way. and yet mordecai drives home his point when he states: "who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?" basically it was like saying, "hello esther, wake up. do you think that you just 'happened' to become queen? no! God placed you here for a reason -- embrace it. is it going to be tough? sure it will be -- but knowing that you didn't do anything for your people who were in need is going to be harder." i mean, what would have happened had esther not embraced her journey? God placed her there for a purpose. and He did it on purpose.

right now i am excited for everything that is going on and know i too need to embrace the journey God has placed me on. since change can be hard i find myself at times thinking about what was. last year at this time i worked with my three best friends. my other best friend was a little farther away but still in minnesota so i think i found comfort in that fact. and we kept in contact with our other best friend via awesome music videos. things change though. now whitney lives in france (soon to be chicago though), jess moved back to wisconsin, kristen moved to second grade -- yes still at the same school but believe me, the distance from her room to my room has turned out to feel like miles with our busy days. i just spend so much time thinking about how great it was last year and i wish i would have cherished it more. but if i spend so much time trying to "cherish" the past, how can i enjoy the present? even though it is change, i can't be afraid of it.

i take comfort in knowing: "every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." and so while everything around me may be changing, i need to embrace it because God does not change -- He is my constant. my stronghold.

and so i vow to not live in the what was, the what could be, the what i wish, or the what will be. i will live for the moment. i will enjoy what the Lord has blessed me with today and let tomorrow worry about itself.