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I Hate Change Honoring God where you are by Sally Conroy Most people seem to hate change. I am one of them. There's something in me that rebels when things depart from the way they were, the way I loved it. As far as I can see, there's nothing wrong with hating change. We were built to treasure the good things God gives us, to yearn for permanence — for eternity — when those good things and beautiful moments fade. The problem comes when we cling to things that God has asked us to release and we don't embrace the new gifts God has given us. We waste a lot of time looking back over our shoulders instead of honoring God where we are. Life, especially while we're young, hits us with transitions and changes almost constantly. I don't know about you, but I want to spend my time honoring God where I am. Whether it's moving to another country, another state, another dorm, another major, or another phase of life, I've found that there are a few tricks to making transitions easier. First, keeping your attention on God throughout your transition is essential to adjusting well. Too often, when things are changing around us, we let time with God drop. We're simply too busy, too drained, to seek God and listen to him. I almost always find myself giving God less of my time when I'm adjusting to something new. When I do that, even though I miss him, I'm usually distracted enough by the changes in my life that I confuse missing him with hating my new situation. I'm always amazed by how much better I feel about the situation once I've really opened up with God. So, if you're in a new place and hating it, first check to see that you're getting the connection with God that you need. Second, try to find little things in your new situation that you appreciate. Most transitions in life mess with our surroundings and our schedules. For example, leaving for college usually means that you're away from home, living around different people, doing different kinds of work. The thing we hate most about change is that it separates us from things we love. The best way to ease our discomfort, then, is to find things we love that are unique to our new situation. When I went to Asia this summer, it helped me to find a favorite restaurant and a favorite type of ice cream. These might be trivial things to love, but finding little things like favorite foods and favorite places can help you to anchor your heart where you are. Finding little things that you love will help you establish a new routine. If you find a place you love to walk, stopping by it every day helps you feel more normal. The more parts of your day you enjoy, no matter how small, the more you will start to feel like your new situation can be good. Both guarding your time with God and finding little things to love ultimately point towards seeing God where you are. It's easy to believe, deep down, that God isn't here in your new home or situation, but that he was left behind with the rest of your previous life. I catch myself believing that sometimes. But you and I both need to remember that God is still where we were, where we are now, and he carried us between the two.