Originally published Friday, 07 August 2020.
C.S. Lewis once said, “There are far, far better things ahead than any we leave behind.” The first time I read this quote, I was in the middle of a huge life transition. Just recently I came across this quote again, and yes, I am standing on the brink of another major change.
Doesn’t it seem interesting that God often brings us just the right quote, verse, and song when our very lives are experiencing joy, sadness, frustration, or loss?
It is in these moments that we hear and see the true tenderness and compassion of a loving and gracious God.
I am a sentimental person by nature. My garage is full of boxes of memorabilia from my kids that I am not ready to let go. I have been forced to purge through the years, but saying goodbye is indeed one of the hardest things I have learned to do as an adult.
My parents were some of the rare few who lived in a quaint house for over 30 years. I never knew any different. My dad retired from a job he started in at age 28. My brothers and sister and I all attended the same schools and had some of the same teachers.
It wasn’t until I reached adulthood that I was faced with the uncertainty of change. There is an element of fear and anxiety when we stand on the edge of the unknown.
God continues to show me that His plans are not always mine. In my own planning, I don’t consider the lessons I need to learn, my path to maturity, or preparation for the future. This responsibility can only rest on One who knows the beginning and the end.
I wonder how the dear band of brothers felt the night of Jesus’ arrest and death. They had been warned and they had been talked to. They had seen His miracles and heard Him pray. The foreshadowing of what was to come did not completely register. Likely they didn’t realize; they would witness a change that would be so instrumental in turning their lives upside down.
How often am I in the same situation? God tells us consistently in His word
He is the rock in time of trouble (Psalm 62:2)
To count it joy when we go through trial (James 1:2)
To forgive those who wrong you and love your enemies (Matthew 5:44).
Despite these warnings, I am in shock when difficulty comes. Change feels out of control. The inability to hang onto the past and what feels comfortable, even as messed up as it may be, is scary.
The Israelite people struggled with change in the days after their escape to the wilderness. Life wasn’t all lollipops and roses and they wanted to go back to Egypt, even to just die.
The people complained to Moses, “What have you done to us in bringing us out of Egypt? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.” (Exodus 14:12)
These imperfect people realized, as I do, that tentative steps of faith in times of change are places we experience who Jesus really is. We see His deep love for us and His good on our behalf. We realize our own human frailty and our need for strength.
This dependence brings courage and comfort no matter how uncomfortable the change.
If God always told me the outcome of the change I was entering, the lessons that would be learned, and the ways my life would look different, I wouldn’t be molded into the woman He desires me to be. I would fight and resist. I would try to talk Him out of His plans.
Submitting to His will and offering my will to His plans is where I learn that joy and happiness can flow from my soul. This filling of His Spirit then to those around me because I have been touched by the hand of the Master.
God loves each of us. This belief in our soul is the beginning of far better things. When we believe this in our core, we know with all certainty that He is faithful. We can see that a God who loves us enough to die for us would not do anything that would betray his love.
As we walk this path, we are forever reminded that God always has greater plans in store for us. Our responsibility is to watch, wait, and obey. As daughters of the King, the future will always be better than the past because our hope and peace rest on Him and the eternal home He is crafting for those who are His.
“…there is a future for the man of peace” (Psalm 37:7)
Laura Sumpter is a native of the Pacific Northwest. She has been a teacher for over 20 years and she loves teaching children and women of all ages how to practically apply Scripture. She counts her husband and three children as the greatest blessings of her life. When she is not writing or teaching you can find her at the beach, in her garden, decorating her home, or playing with her family. Laura lives each day believing that God is faithful, no matter the circumstance. She desires to express the deep and satisfying hope that only Jesus can bring. You can find the lessons God is teaching her at her blog or on Instagram.
SHARE
