Clinging to the Constant

Ahhhhhh....I say that as I take a moment to sit down and break from the pandemonium of unpacking. We are finally in our new home! This is a wonderful feeling, yet moving is such a barbaric process.

First you must spend countless hours on the phone to discover what moving company offers the best rate. Don't be deceived, the price they quote, the one that seems wonderfully low, is usually not the price you will pay. Tax and other interesting fees tend to show up along the way. We finally decided on a company and ventured to pick up our 26 ft. moving truck, along with a car carrier. Not a car dolly, as the Jeep is a 4X4, so we needed a car carrier. Do you know how long a 26 ft. moving truck with a car carrier is?? Me neither, but I'm pretty sure we looked like a tractor trailer truck, or more fondly termed: semi.

Secondly, the first phase of moving all of your junk occurs. We spent a full day loading the truck...back and forth, back and forth. Just when it seemed that the end was near, a stash of hidden treasures would be discovered, and that would require twenty more trips to the moving truck, and the re-arranging of its contents. Needless to say, by the end of the day we were feeling muscles that we never knew existed.

The next morning we intended an early start. Yet, the weather was doing its best to throw a wrench in the plan. Last minute packing was hindered by the torrential downpour and the loss of power. Despite all odds, we made it out of the driveway only 30 minutes behind schedule. Not bad. After 4 miles to the gallon, and a few fuel stops along the way, we arrived in Louisville early afternoon. The moving truck was unpacked by 6:30 that night, record time I shall say. Then the real work began. Now the real work continues, and will continue for many days to come. But, it sure is good to be on this end of the moving process.

I have been thankful for the Lord's unchangeableness(not sure if that is an actual word!) over these past weeks and months. The beginning of this year has been filled with transition; I think life is filled with transition and change. Yet, the Lord is constant. When times of transition come upon me, I tend to feel panicked, stressed, and constantly anxious. This is no way to live, and there is no reason to live this way as a child of God. I once was challenged to ask myself what I would look like with the peace of Christ ruling my heart...my life. It has been a few years since I was given this challenge, and I am still asking! It is a daily struggle as the world tells us to live stressful and busy lives, and we buy that, hook, line, and sinker.
I don't want to live a life filled with stress. I'm done feeling anxious. I want the peace of Christ to rule my life, and it has this past month, only by His grace. His peace dwells in us richly when we rest in Him, and trust that no matter what is happening around us, He is constant and in perfect control. Oh, I still have my moments of feeling anxious or stressed, but those are the times that I desperately need to lay everything at His feet. And it works!! His peace then guards my heart and mind.
John 14: 27 says it much better than I could, for it is the very words of God: "Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful."
So let us cling to the only constant in this ever changing world: Jesus Christ. In doing so, may our anxious thoughts be replaced by His peace, and may our lives reflect the peace that Jesus has given to us as His children.
"Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." -Philippians 4:4-7