PASTOR’S CORNER

Dear friends, I hope to find you in good health and in perfect peace .

Well, winter is gone and summer is now here. If I was to go around a room and ask everyone what their favorite season is, I would most likely get every answer. This is because everyone prefers their own different season to their own liking.

But truth be known, at the end of the day we do not control the weather, and we do not control the seasons as they come and go, do we? But we are called to let go of the old to embrace the new. Sometimes we look forward to the new season and temperatures because we were not too fond of the last, but sometimes it’s a scary thing to step into a new season because we got so comfortable in the last. Well, in the same way, our personal lives go through a series of constant transitions and changes in circumstances. Many of which we are not willing to welcome, but also many in which we do look forward to arriving.

Today we can take comfort in knowing that transition & change in life are God’s divine design for humanity, whether it feels good or not, and whether it’s delightful or tragic even.

When we experience change, we also go through many emotions, and that’s a good thing. You see, your feelings and your emotions during change are a good thing because that’s what Father God gave you in order to deal with the change. But friends, in due season there will come a time to embrace the new. Listen to what this beautiful passage in Scripture has to say concerning this! (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8) 1 To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven: 2 A time to be born, And a time to die; A time to plant, And a time to pluck what is planted; 3 A time to kill, And a time to heal; A time to break down,And a time to build up; 4 A time to weep, And a time to laugh; A time to mourn, And a time to dance; 5 A time to cast away stones, And a time to gather stones; A time to embrace, And a time to refrain from embracing; 6 A time to gain, And a time to lose; A time to keep, And a time to throw away; 7 A time to tear, And a time to sew; A time to keep silence, And a time to speak; 8 A time to love, And a time to hate; A time of war, And a time of peace.

What this passage is saying is that there is a time to deal with and to go through the feelings and emotions of whatever change we are about to experience in our life at the moment.

But if we don’t ever at some point in our life, embrace change by letting go of the last season, then we will only be making ourselves prisoners of our past without even realizing it.

I think it’s important to also remember that “letting go of the past” doesn’t always mean forgetting the past. Remembering our past has a way of keeping us humble, aware, and thankful.

Here’s the hope, that through change and from change in life, we would choose to come out BETTER because of it, and not BITTER because of it. And all for God’s glory and His purposes. Amen.

Friends, in the times that you may struggle with finding the purpose of accepting change in your own life, regardless of what that change may look like for you, always remember that the greatest example is our Lord & Savior Jesus Christ. He himself faced the ultimate transition when He stepped down from His honored Heavenly throne, down to the rugged and painful cross on Calvary. Surely that did not feel good to our Lord, but the Bible says that for the joy that was set before Him, (This means You!) He endured the cross. (Heb.12:2) I pray you are blessed by this amazing truth! With Love, Your brother in Christ Jesus, Pastor Billy