Coping with Change

My stepson moved into an apartment with a college friend the first part of the summer. It is quieter than usual without his rambunctious personality at our house.

My youngest daughter starts her senior year of high school next month. Since she is our fourth child, we are well aware of the inevitable changes that will take place over the next year.

Stepfamilies experience more change, on average, than traditional families. Kids move back and forth, relationships with ex-spouses and other extended family members create change, and new relationships within stepfamilies bring about change. But change allows us to grow in our faith as we seek God's strength and direction during times of transition.

God asked Abraham to make a significant change at 75 years of age, leaving behind his comfortable surroundings and embarking on unfamiliar territory. Hebrews 11:8 says, "By faith, Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going." Wow! What an awesome expression of faith by Abraham.
Although we may not be asked to make such a drastic change, we do often land in unfamiliar territory as stepparents and need to seek God's direction to guide us through unknown surroundings.

It's comforting to remember that, when our life is constantly changing, God is unchangeable. Hebrews 13:8 says, "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever." His faithful presence is our sustaining hope as we navigate the inevitable changes that come our way on our stepfamily journey.

Do you seek God's direction during times of change?