Change, Learn, and Grow

 

(June 9, 2021) They say that change is constant. 2020 had more than its fair share of changes, and now we’re  changing back to a way of life that looks a little more like what we used to call normal.  

“To live is to change, and to be perfect is to have changed often.” 

John Henry Newman 

“If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing  that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even  pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” 

--Matt 5:46-48 

I read somewhere that the Greek word that’s translated to our English word ‘perfect’ refers to something you grow into; it’s a process of becoming whole. That means Jesus isn’t expecting us  to be flawless; instead, He’s giving us lessons on how to grow into our God-given potential. 

What have we learned from living through a pandemic that’s in line with Jesus’ lessons? How  may the challenges of the past 15 months inspire us to change how we spend our time, energy,  and resources to become ‘perfect’ – to move toward becoming the people God created each of us to be? Maybe our time of social isolation helped us appreciate the people who are important  to us, and so now we’re determined to make more time for them. Maybe we’ve become more  aware of the needs of our community, and that insight challenges us to get involved in a service  project. Maybe we’ve even learned how our health and hygiene affect the people around us,  and so now we’re mindfully practicing healthy habits out of respect for others. 

I hope that some of the past year’s changes turned out to be blessings. I hope you learned – I  hope we all learned – not to take anyone or anything for granted. I hope through the toughest  times you learned you have more strength, and more people pulling for you, than you ever  realized. I hope in the days and years ahead you continue to find opportunities to adapt, learn, and grow into the wonderful YOU God created. 

“Make us know the shortness of our life that we may gain wisdom of heart.” --Psalm 90:12 

This article is a personal reflection by Gina Bedell © 2021. It and other reflections written by her invite  the reader to ponder a given topic and then seek deeper answers through prayer, additional spiritual  reading, and/or consultation with clergy or other persons who may guide the reader to a deeper faith  and understanding of God’s love and will for their life.