Change happens. Whether we want it to or not. Whether it’s part of our plan or not. Whether it slowly drips into our lives or arrives in a blast overnight. Whether we feel some nuances and know it’s coming, or it smacks into us, and we are caught off guard.

Change happens.

So how do we deal with it? How do we accept this change in our life that we didn’t ask for and we certainly don’t want?

First, before we fly off the handle, or let our emotions get the better of us, let’s take some time to reflect. Let’s learn more about this change. Why did it happen? What are the ramifications?

Once we have a better understanding of this new change in our life, we can review our options. Is there anything we can do to make this change easier? Can we help someone else? Can someone else help us? Can we accept it and move on?

“This too shall pass,” we are reminded. But what if it doesn’t?

Whether we’re dealing with financial, health, family, or relationship issues, how do we learn to live with our new role, especially when it’s not of our choosing? How do we learn to accept it and not go off the deep end in the process?

At the age of 17, Joseph’s brothers sold him to Midianite merchants, who took him to Egypt. Not only did his brothers rip away his coat, they ripped him away from his family and from the only life he knew. I’m sure Joseph had many years to reflect on his lot in life. But he chose acceptance of his new life and started a family of his own. Years later, he told his brothers, “It was not you who sent me here, but God.” God had a plan. A master plan. God created the change.

The Apostle Paul had a disability, and three times he prayed for it to be removed. His prayer was answered, but not in the way he wanted.

But he (the Lord) said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:9-10

Paul didn’t learn acceptance overnight, but he did learn it. And we can too. For when we are weak, we know the Lord’s power is at work. We may not see or understand His master plan, but it’s at work in our lives, running always behind the scenes. We can take comfort knowing He is there.

“Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.”
- Philippians 4:6-7

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Download the Fearless in 30 Challenge. Everyday, for the next 30 days, do something that scares you. Record your thoughts, actions, and results in your journal, and at the end of the Challenge review how far you’ve come.