Embracing Life's Changes

When I was a little girl, my grandmother, gave me some great advice about getting shots. She said, “Sam, if you tense up, it is harder for the needle to go into the muscle so it hurts more. Relax, don't fight it and it will hurt less.” Pretty good advice for getting shots, but even better advice when dealing with life’s changes.

They say only death and taxes are certainties, but I believe ‘change’ should be in that list also. As part of the 'sandwich' generation (raising children at home and caring for aging parents) change is a constant. In the last year, I have sent a daughter to high school, a daughter to middle school, graduated from Phoenix Seminary, buried my father, and am helping my mom deal with being a widow.

The way my mom and I communicate through this transitional time is a great example of relaxing and not fighting the change. During the time my mom was caring for my paraplegic father she became increasingly lonely and sought out my interaction. Several phone calls a day may not seem like much, but a lot of times I didn’t have time for call right then and there, so I showed her how to text message me from the computer. Her messages got to me right away and I would call her back when I could. Eventually, mom decided that texting wasn’t so bad and it became our primary means of communication - a win win for both of us.

Mom also felt like she was in the dark about what our family was doing, so she took the next risk - Facebook. By watching our family’s and our daughter’s Facebook she could see on a daily basis what our family and my daughters were doing.

Mom is a great example of relaxing and going with life’s changes instead of tensing up. Mom could have said, “honey, I just don't want to learn how to text so you will just need to answer the phone when I call.” In reality, every generation faces these type of changes. Not too long ago, the television and carbon copies where new things. Next it was computers, cellphones, and copy machines. Now it is texting, Facebook, podcasts, and Twitter. And who knows what will be next.

Even within the church, organs gave way to pianos, and now guitars. Overhead projectors gave way to slide projectors, and now PowerPoint presentations. And although the gospel message is unchanging, the way it is presented and will be presented must change. Without change, how can we reach this generation and the generation to follow.

I think my Grandma really was right. I am going to have to get that shot; the question I need to ask myself is if I will resist it and reap the consequence of the additional pain, or will I relax and go with it? What about you? Will you relax and embrace the changes life brings? Or, will you tense up and resist it?