I have been working as a Church Effectiveness Coach for 2 years now. It has been a wonderful time overall. I get to work with a great team of people and being able to feel like I can made a difference in a bunch of congregations and in ways that have an impact on a lot of people's lives is a great privilege.
But life has been forcing some changes on me and it has got me to thinking.
- One of our team decided to move on and fulfill a lifelong dream. I am so happy for him, but it causes some changes in the way that our team functions.
- Both of our office's administrative assistants have decided to move on this summer. One to be a wonderful mother, and the other to take on a role that will truly impact a lot of college kids lives. Great for them, but a real change for the way our office functions and the way I will work.
- We are between offices and so will lose a personal office for the next year or two till our new offices are built. Not a big deal, but still some of the ways that things will be different.
- On the personal front our family is beginning to deal with my daughter going off to college this fall, about 350 Km (200 miles) from home. Will change the nature of how the house functions - for sure!
- My dad has had a bad turn physically due to his Parkinsons, and is in the Hospital and will move from there to long term care. That in turn will mean a move for my mother to a smaller and more affordable place. Big change on that front.
Don't get me wrong, this is not a complaining process. But it is a chance for me to experience some of the realities of change. You see, my life has been about bringing about change - in individuals, in teams, in congregations. What I so often forget is that change is not a comfortable kind of thing. It is most uncomfortable, painful even at times. Yet it is a most necessary part of life and growth and health, as individuals, as teams, as families and as groups such as a congregation.
The real pain of change, if we are honest, is not the circumstances of the change as much as the way we are willing to think about, and process the change. The first question in all of our minds is how the change will impact and cause discomfort to me. Makes Paul's words calling us to be transformed by the renewing of our minds make a whole lot of sense.
So, as I am taking some vacation time this month, what I am most hoping for, is that God will work on transforming my mind around all the changes that he is throwing my way. He must have a great plan in His mind, it is just my task to allow Him to work on my mind.
It just may be a GREAT summer!
