Jen’s Gem: You can stand strong in the winds of change.
Isn’t it cool when out of nowhere you get this major revelation that stops you in your tracks? It’s like when you find that missing puzzle piece that you’ve been struggling with for hours. It may have been staring at you the whole time, but you overlooked it. But, then you find it and…voila!
That’s what happened to me yesterday as I was reading my favorite devotional. It was as if the words jumped off the page and into my heart. The main message for the day was about worry and how so many people spend their days worrying about tomorrow when tomorrow is not a given. It is not promised. Plus, and this may be even more important, worrying doesn’t change anything. Nothing.
Well, maybe I’ll take that back. Worrying does change something. It changes you. It raises your blood pressure. It depresses you. It steals your joy. And excessive worrying makes you sick. I presume if you’re reading a blog called “Elevate the Day”, you’re not looking to be brought down, but rather raised up each day. You’re not looking to limp through your day, crippled in worry or fear or guilt, but rather you are seeking to leap through it with joy and gratitude.
Well, maybe I’ll take that back. Worrying does change something. It changes you. It raises your blood pressure. It depresses you. It steals your joy. And excessive worrying makes you sick. I presume if you’re reading a blog called “Elevate the Day”, you’re not looking to be brought down, but rather raised up each day. You’re not looking to limp through your day, crippled in worry or fear or guilt, but rather you are seeking to leap through it with joy and gratitude.
Change is Coming
There’s hardly one person I speak with these days who is not struggling on some level – limping. Perhaps it’s because of illness or finances or a relationship that’s in trouble. I too was limping through my days recently with a boatload of challenges – all of which have disappeared like a puff of smoke. But alas, as those blew away, new ones came to pass. That’s life. There’s always going to be a challenge. Change does not change.
What could change, if we want it to, is how we handle these changes. Do we want to limp through them – afraid and weak? Or do we want to rise above them – leaping with strength and courage? How do we do that? How do we face a challenge that seems daunting and not falter?
Faith.
My faith teaches me that I have authority and power over anything – from sickness to financial challenges to teenagers that try my patience to well, anything. Last week I wrote that I’d forgotten this tenet because I couldn’t see the forest through the trees. (In my defense, those trees were blocked with the poison ivy I got!) Today I not only see the forest, I see the sky. I see the heavens. I see that my Father in heaven has a master plan for me – and you – if only…you will consider taking a leap of faith.
What could change, if we want it to, is how we handle these changes. Do we want to limp through them – afraid and weak? Or do we want to rise above them – leaping with strength and courage? How do we do that? How do we face a challenge that seems daunting and not falter?
Faith.
My faith teaches me that I have authority and power over anything – from sickness to financial challenges to teenagers that try my patience to well, anything. Last week I wrote that I’d forgotten this tenet because I couldn’t see the forest through the trees. (In my defense, those trees were blocked with the poison ivy I got!) Today I not only see the forest, I see the sky. I see the heavens. I see that my Father in heaven has a master plan for me – and you – if only…you will consider taking a leap of faith.
Are You Ready to Leap?
This past week, my father was hospitalized. My family thought he was nearing the end of his life. As I packed my bags to go home, I prepared myself in case this visit would be the last time I’d see my dad. At nearly 95 years old, it’s not like he hasn’t lived a full life, but still…can’t we all live to 100 or 200 or more if the quality of life is good?

There are many obstacles in front of him and I don’t know the outcome. Here’s what I do know. I can choose to worry each day that I’m going to lose my dad – or – I can choose to spend each day living my life as he’d want me to. He was never one to accept weakness. If you had a problem, he’d expect you to work it out, rise above it – remember who you were, i.e. his child. I can’t say this approach always translated well and sometimes came across as harsh, but I learned that you don’t have to be a victim. You don’t have to cave in at every little hiccup. His words still ring in my head.
Say ‘No’ to the Pity Party Invitation
My dad was never a coddler and certainly was never going to participate in any pity party I tried to invite him to. But, he was there to pick me up when I fell. (And I’ve fallen a lot). God is there to pick me and you up too. He may not coddle you either. He may make you go through some challenges so you will learn a lesson or two, but He’s always there. Always.