“It’s the greatest thing – the routine of my life that I have gotten used to has suddenly and irreversibly changed!” – said nobody ever. We love our routines. We never want them to change.
Some of us love to talk a big game about being spontaneous; about not getting into a rut; about not being predictable; about avoiding the “same old same old”; about living a life of - “Let’s just see where the day takes us.” And, it is actually possible that this kind of thinking could be a great thing - when you’re on vacation. You might not see and do everything that your vacation spot has to offer if you have this kind of approach to your time away. But, you just might see something that few other vacationers ever see; you just might have an adventure that few others get to experience; you just might have a wonderful story to tell when you get back home.
By definition, vacations are not our real lives. Vacations are a temporary escape from our real lives. No matter how spontaneous and adventurous we might be on our temporary vacation, it will all come to an end. And then, we’re back home. Now, the routines which we cast off for a moment are back upon us. And, as much as we sigh, and as much as we fondly remember those glorious vacation days of “seeing where the day takes us”, now, it’s back to the “same old same old” .
But, that’s not all bad. We crave predictability. To some extent, our routines keep us grounded. We know what to expect, and we can make plans to meet the daily expectations of life. For the most part, our routines provide a degree of comfort. Our routines provide a degree of control.
Except, the truth is that’s not true. Life is unpredictable. The idea of control is an illusion. It is not real. It has no substance. It disappears in a moment without asking for our permission, and without begging our pardon. Suddenly, the unpredictable happens, and our routines are changed, and our comfort is gone.
OK, that’s starting to sound a little dark, which is not the point of this little excursion into philosophy. What I would like for us to consider is how some changes to our usual routines can actually bring about opportunities for service and for growth that we might not have otherwise encountered, and that we might not have otherwise sought out. A loss of control over our routines might not always be something to dread.
In his book entitled “Forward”, Pastor David Jeremiah asks – “When you look back at the changes you’ve made in your life, what compelled you to break out of familiar routines? What motivated you to think you could do something different? What prompted you to step into an unfamiliar place and fulfill a new purpose in your life?”
Pastor Jeremiah discusses how such things often come about because of dreams we have for different and better things, and this is certainly true. In fact, I hope we are all dreaming in this way, and then working to achieve those dreams. However, sometimes the thing which compels us to break out of familiar routines is the fact that something beyond our control has happened, and now we seem to have no choice but “to step into an unfamiliar place”. I would actually be surprised if something like this has not happened in your life.
Scary? You bet. Changes that we do not choose are pretty much always scary. But have you considered that maybe at least a part of what is going on when this happens is that God is involved, and that He is sovereignly working in order to move you to the place He wants you to be? Have you considered that maybe He is calling you to step up into a place of service and ministry that you would never have considered without the change in routine that has suddenly occurred in your life? Have you considered that maybe He is telling you that it’s time to grow up a little?
And if, or should I say “when” our formerly familiar routines are suddenly changed in such a way, I pray we will be able to look for and see that the hand of God is working even in this unexpected change, that we will ask for His wisdom as we “step into an unfamiliar place”, that we will feel His Spirit empowering us to accomplish His purposes, and that we will find joy in doing what He has called us to do.
Ambrose Ramsey | Shepherd
