These Days, They Are A River
That We're All Flowing Down...
Two days ago we dropped our oldest daughter off at the airport to spend her next school year studying in Spain. (SPAIN!!!) It’s an amazing opportunity and we’re so excited for her, and of course, came back home and walked around the rest of the day feeling like we had forgotten a piece of our chests back in the airport parking deck.
An hour after getting home I took my dog for a walk down our cul-de-sac and remembered taking our infant daughter up and down that same street for the first time. That was, I suppose, exactly one lifetime ago, for her.
And remembering THAT reminded me that I had written this short little piece a year or so ago, back before I had any place to share it. I went and found it and it resonated like I could have written it today. So I thought I’d share it with you. Here you go…
Change
I’m writing this two days after my oldest daughter graduated from high school.
We still live in the house where we brought her home from the hospital 18 years ago. I remember taking her out for her first walk down the street. She was probably five days old and as a young father I felt like I wasn’t much older. She was so tiny and fragile.
I held her so close in my arms as we went up and down the cul-de-sac. I was overwhelmed, scared, excited and terribly worried about my ability to provide for the newest, most important life on the planet.
Now 18 years later, she’s downstairs hanging out with all her oldest friends. Many of whom I have known since they were babies, too. She’s about to leave for college in a few months and I’m overwhelmed, scared, excited and terribly worried about my ability to provide for the most important freshman on the planet.
And in that time, we’ve had two other amazing little girls, also not so little anymore. I’ve moved in and out of a few bands, a few jobs. We’ve changed churches. I still have some of the same old friends, in fact I was just with one of them this evening, but a lot of our friends have moved away or just moved to another spot on the old relationship dance floor.
Also in that time? We’ve gone through a few *notable* presidents. LOST was awesome, then it was terrible, then it was over. The Office was bad, then it was amazing, then Steve Carell left, so it was over, too. Blockbuster closed and Netflix took over.
My point? Things change.
Benjamin Franklin famously said “nothing is certain, except death and taxes.” I would like to add “and change”. There is no river of life that flows straight and clear to the ocean. It is all twists and turns and storms and sunny days. Very few things, if any, stay the same.
And here let’s add one more thing to Uncle Ben’s tidy list: Nothing is certain, except death, taxes, change, and the unceasing, unwavering love of God.
Being a young, scared dad? God loved me and was with me. Being an older, scared dad? God loves me and is with me. Losing a job, losing a friend, embarking on a new adventure, achieving a dream? God loves me and is with me.
Change often brings fear and anxiety of the unknown, along with grief over what is left behind. Even with the best and most exciting of changes, there is usually some sort of loss and anxiousness.
But friends, we can take comfort in this: In good changes and bad, grief or adventure - God loves and is with us.
The one thing that will truly never change.
Thought for reflection today:
The difficult thing you’re dealing with or fearing right now… How would you approach it differently if you really believed it was just a passing season?
(This week’s new single is called “for your voice” - but the whole EP - and the poem it completes - is now released in its entirety.)
This is so accurate to where I’m at in life as well… I leave for YWAM (in Norway)! in less than two weeks and these kind of thoughts have been on my mind a lot. Change is so good, but also so hard in the moment. Thanks for this post! 😊