So what's changed?

Four weeks ago, I thought I would be living for almost one more year on the ship I live on, sailing to the Gulf and beyond. I didn't just think this, I was planning for it. My work was preparing orientations and training for our people to have an effective time in the countries we were going to and it was a lot of preparation.

Then on 17 November, everything changed. We heard that the ship had to stop by the end of this year. (Long story, but you can read about it on my other blog, here.)

Everything changed. Now, along with 300 other people, my future is uncertain. I don't know how much longer I'll stay on this ship. I don't know where I'll go afterwards. I don't know much right now at all!

But as I thought about this, I asked myself, 'What has actually changed?'
My first response - 'Everything!'

But the more I think about it, I realise that not much has changed at all.
Before 17 November, we were not going to go to the Gulf, even though we thought we were. I was not going to stay for another year on the ship, even though I thought I was. The future is what the future is. That didn't change. God knew all along that this would happen. The main thing that's changed is that we've found out that what we THOUGHT was going to happen, wasn't. That's really it.

This makes me realise how fragile our hopes and plans can be. We can throw everything into planning for what we think will happen, and then when it doesn't, we are confused or angry at God. But if nothing we were planning for was going to happen anyway, doesn't that show that our hopes were in the wrong things?

Paul sums it up beautifully in 2 Corinthians 4:18.
So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary but what is unseen is eternal.

My future is still uncertain. I still don't know what tomorrow brings, but maybe now I realise more than ever that I NEVER knew! My security was only in what I expected would happen. And when life throws a curve-ball, I get upset. No wonder! My hopes and plans were based on the seen. And I can't guarantee that what I think will happen will.

I am excited in the midst of this 'change'. I italicise 'change' because the main thing that has changed is our perception of future events. But I'm excited because this is forcing many of us to stop fixing our eyes on the seen, the planned for, the known.... and focus on our walks with God. Because He is absolutely unchanging. And that I know for sure!