Positive Change #6 & #7 Personal Transformation and Enhanced Quality of Life

October offered a full month of activities and events this year. We experienced a wedding, entertained two different sets of visiting friends, and attended a fabulous production of “Esther” at the Sight & Sound Theater in Lancaster, PA. We also developed new relationships after traveling to Nashville, TN and Colorado Springs, CO, for Reen’s new full-time Staff position with The Navigators. (reen.waterman@navigators.org)

Whew! What a rich and full month! I tell you this because yesterday was my birthday and I spent my birthday simply relaxing and enjoying some quiet time. That may seem like nothing to you, but for me, it is greatly significant.  To do nothing but be quiet on my birthday and enjoy it is a major change for me. For some reason, in the past my birthday was very important to me.  I wanted everyone around me to celebrate it with me.  Special lunches with friends, trips to interesting places, or fascinating concerts or productions were the norm.

Yet my birthday came and went this year with little comment. I realized this lack of interest in my birthday reflects a new level of transformation in my life. I’ve changed… and for the better. Time proved that there are so many more important things than my birthday. 

Paul tells us as he did the Corinthians, “And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” (II Cor. 3:18)

As long as we live, there are always areas for transformation and growth. As Christians our desire is to be more like Jesus, that we might reflect His character to all we meet. Positive Result #6 – Change Creates Personal Transformation. Often transformation happens over time, possibly even imperceivably in the moment, but permanent in the long haul. Where do you see transformation in your life today? And Positive Result #7- Change Enhances Your Quality of Life completes our seven-part list.

“Change is inevitable in life. You can either resist it and potentially get run over by it, or you can choose to cooperate with it, adapt to it, and learn how to benefit from it. When you embrace change you will begin to see it as an opportunity for growth. -Jack Canfield, author

Change demands risk. It means you may have to move, or demands an information learning curve, or challenges you to do things in ways never before imagined.

But if you are open to God’s leading by reading His Bible, by seeking His guidance through prayer, by observing the circumstances He directs that surround you, and by receiving the counsel of trusted friends, you can know that His leading will guide you. You can experience an exciting future that enriches the quality of your life. You will be doing what you were created to do and find a fulfillment greater than any known before. Why?

Because it is His promise to you.  We read in Paul’s words to the Ephesians, “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Ephesians 2:10) He tells us as He does the prophet Jeremiah, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11)

Trust God today and step out into His future for you. Experience a quality of life greater than ever anticipated.