Emily is a ball of sunshine. She was one of the first upperclassmen I met during my freshman year, and a big reason Freshley became a home for me. I always looked forward to finding her every week at the front of the room, and seeing her friendly face meant a lot during a hard season. Emily has a way with words, a talent for seeing the light in people, and an unmatched level of joy.
Over the past few weeks, I’ve been spending a lot of time in my childhood bedroom. Old pictures that line my bulletin boards and dressers display the small moments that add up to my life: my first birthday, my middle school dance, my high school graduation… It’s like a time capsule. It’s funny to think about what was important to me then- who I hung out with, how I filled my time. Even though these pictures were taken over a span of 20 years, it all seems to have changed so quickly. I’ve been thinking a lot about change lately. In fact, I think everyone’s been thinking about change. Besides the obvious, I think an underlying reason the past few weeks have made us so restless is because we are used to our change being gradual; we are used to accepting it in such small doses that we don’t even recognize things are different, not until we step back and look at the full picture. It’s a lot to handle- in the midst of this global transformation, our individual, gradual changes are still progressing, too. My little brother is going to college within the next year. My sister is getting married within the next month. My parents are in the process of moving out of my childhood home. All of these things make up the center of our attention now, but I realize that someday, they will be reduced to snapshots that I can add to my bulletin board. It can be bittersweet, intimidating, or even uncomfortable at times, but it is important to realize that change is nothing to fear. It leaves so much room for growth and maturity, for us to move closer and closer in the direction of who we are meant to be. In fact, the most significant, life-altering transformation I’ve ever experienced turned out to be the ultimate blessing: giving my life to Christ gave me a brand-new purpose, and my heart is not the same as it was before. No other changes that come my way will ever be able to compare. I think God is using this pandemic to wake us up. It’s teaching us that nothing is guaranteed, and to never take even the smallest blessings for granted. I want to encourage you to love the people around you right now, to take a mental snapshot and keep it safe in your memory. Pray that He would bring us peace in this craziness, and then continue to pray even after it’s over. Feel free to grieve the normal you had to give up, but do your best to find joy in your new circumstance. He cares about our individual challenges just as much as this global crisis, and He is sure to see us through both.
‘The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.’
– Deuteronomy 31:8.
He loves you more than you can imagine!
Stuff With K-Huff 