“For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.” Isaiah 43:19 NLT
Do you ever feel like you are on the verge of a major change, even though you can’t explain what that change will be? Right now, Tom and I are preparing for a bucket-list trip to Alaska. But I know that this trip is more than just a bucket-list experience. For us, it is a buffer between what has been and what will be. In some ways, the time away will be preparation for the changes ahead. The future is unclear, but I believe God is going to do something in us as we experience the beauty of His creation and step away from our daily life so we will be ready for it.
Part of the preparation has been research and pre-trip purchases so that we can be ready for what we will experience there. Like waterproof shoes! Evidently, it rains a lot. But as I have been getting ready for this long-held desire, I found myself feeling anxious. That’s not what I want.
As I asked myself and God what the source of that anxiety was, I realized the anxiety stemmed from a fear of not being ready for something I didn’t anticipate. How can you be ready for what you don’t know? A few years ago, God revealed the root of that fear, so now I am more aware of it. I expect myself to just know things that actually need to be learned. That’s a pretty high expectation and completely unrealistic, right? None of us knows the future. We have to live it and learn as we go.
Once I was aware of the root of the anxiety, I had to decide on a realistic reason to prepare. This is what I settled on: The purpose of preparing for the trip, the purchases we make, or any other pre-trip decisions, is to enhance our ability to enjoy it so that we can connect with God and each other. Not to anticipate things I don’t know about. Does that make sense to you?
What are you preparing for, and what motivates you?
To be prepared is to be ready for whatever happens. We prepare outwardly for things we anticipate as possibilities. For our trip, that might be purchasing needed items, having a first-aid kit, or having a backup plan in case weather conditions are unfavorable. You get the idea. We don’t know what will happen, but those are things we know might happen.
We also prepare inwardly, like getting perspective on how to approach an experience. For example, deciding that the reason to prepare is to enhance our experience on the trip.
One way I am preparing for the trip is to practice combatting those anxious thoughts with truth. When I feel that anxiety rising up, I tell myself that God will work everything together for good, no matter what happens, because I love Him and am called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28)
What preparation steps do you need to take for what is happening in your life right now?
Preparing for change requires introspection. I hadn’t expected this part of the process. But I have discovered that I must allow God to search my heart as I get ready for this change. As I do, there are things He brings to light.
I must let go of every hindrance (Hebrews 12: 1-2). I must prepare practically. (Proverbs 24:27) Above all, I must be willing to do whatever God asks. No part of life is outside His jurisdiction, even a bucket-list trip.
I’ve heard it said that the key to hearing God’s voice is to be willing to do whatever He says. That requires letting go of my expectations and imaginations. I need to let God paint the picture. When He is doing something new, the tendency is to try to fill in the details and the colors. Let Him sketch it. As you begin to recognize the outlines, resist the tendency to fill in the colors.
I can imagine the trip. I know the itinerary, the sketch, if you will. But the colors will only be filled in as I experience it. The same is true for whatever change you are anticipating.
Preparing for change means letting go of the past and looking with expectant eyes and open hands towards the future. That is the bottom line, my friend. Let God paint the picture. Let God fill your hands. What He has is so much more than you can ask, think, or imagine. (Ephesians 3:20)
Key Question: How do you prepare for change?
A Scripture to Consider: “For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.” Isaiah 43:19 NLT
A YES Challenge: Set a timer for two minutes and sit silently before the Lord. What thoughts rise to the top? What might God want to say to you about those things?
Prayer: Lord, when I consider the future, sometimes I am excited, and sometimes I feel anxious. I want to be ready for whatever You have for me. Guide me to the practical things I can do to be ready for the change You are preparing me for. Show me what I need to adjust inwardly to have a proper perspective. There is so much I don’t know. Help me be ready by trusting that You hold it all in Your hand and are working things together for good because I am Yours, You love me, and will fulfill Your purpose for me. Amen.
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