I'm anxious about the changes ahead.

[Betty Southard]

[b]Reader Question: My family is going through alot of change right now and I am battling anxiety. I am constantly praying for help. Any comments to help me?[/b]

Change is always a challenge. We are also encountering unexpected change in our life right now. I have learned through the years that there is a process involved in every change, no matter how big or small that change may be.
First, all change begins with the ending of something. It may be major, a death, divorce, financial ruin, etc. or it may be more basic, a move, children problems, job changes, etc. When something ends we feel a loss. We lose our identity, confidence, footing, we are just not sure who we are, where we are or what the future holds. Therefore we go through the grieving process. This may include anger, bargaining, depression and ultimately acceptance of the loss. What happens during this time I liken to the "twilight zone". A time between dreams when we reevaluate our lives, letting go of the old and looking at the options that lie ahead. I call it my "recess to re access." We live in an age of instant answers, but God doesn't work on the same schedule our society demands. The Scriptures teach us that people of faith "waited on the Lord." I have found it helps me to wait if I will follow 4 steps in Psalm 37. (TLB)
Step one: Commit everything you do to the Lord. v. 5a
That is take your concern and give it over to the Lord, Hands down, letting go, not trying to make it happen your way or time.

Step two; Trust Him to help you do it and He will. v5b
Trust means "lean hard" on the Lord. It is an act of our will, not a feeling. When I give my concerns to the Lord, Satan usually comes in like a flood with the "what if's?" To help me keep my concerns committed to the Lord I move to:

Step Three: Be delighted with the Lord, Then he will give you all your heart's desires. v.4
I do this by making delight into an acrostic: Daily Everything Laid Into God's Hand's Totally. Everytime I feel doubt or fear or concern, I thank God that He is in control. It may not look like it, or feel like it, I am, by faith, recommitting the problem to Him, trusting Him to work, in His way and time. So I discipline my thoughts by turning them back to the Lord. This leads to:

Step Four: Rest in the Lord: wait patiently for him to act. Don't fret and worry, it only leads to harm. v.7,8.

It works, I have lived by this process for over 30 years, raising 3 daughters, seeing them marry, have 7 grandchildren, caring for aging parents, and not facing retirement.

I have a cd or tape on this subject if you would like further instruction. You can find this material by visiting my web site:
www.bettysouthard.com

Change is always challenging......but if we will put our trust in the Lord, He will walk the path with us, and we will discover that after the endings and the twilight zone, there will come a time of new beginnings. These often bring unexpected surprised and pleasures, and certainly we will grow through the process of change.