Changes

Lately I have been pondering change. there are many quotes to be found about it--check out quotegarden.com. David Bowie sings that "time may change me, but you can't change time". Arbys tells us that "change is good". I was never quite sure if they meant coinage or life in a state of flux.

• A year ago at this time, I spent my time looking at rescue dogs on PetFinder.com; now we are owned by a dog.


• A year ago I was working with people I have known for years; now, they are retired and I an one 0f the 'senior' employees there.


• Eleven months ago, I still had two girls; now I am the mother of a teenager, How'd that happen?


• Two months ago, I weighed 3 pounds less than I do now. No comment.

Last Sunday, we took a vote at church and in 3 months, we will no longer be a congregation going by the name that we have gone by for 150+ years; we will be a 'satellite' church of a larger one of our denomination. We will most likely be a core group of the same people but go by a new name and there will be new worshippers from the larger church 'planted' in ours to help us to grow. It is scary and exciting at the same time. For the last few months I have been telling myself and family members that this is similar to when a woman marries -- she changes her name but she is still the same person. Secnds later, I get all sentimental and maudlin about a name that will be changing. Then, I decide it is still a good thing as the leadership of this church has been handed down to myself and others and how it is now our turn to pray and reflect on what is best and what is God's Will for this body of believers. And, this will be the third name our church has had in 16 decades. So there.

• In the last 50 years, the church has gone from 200 members with a large Sunday School program to just my 2 kids and sometimes the kids of another family (except for hockey season when they are never there).


• In 50 years, we have built 2 additions to the building.


• In 50 years, we have gone from a part-time preacher to 9 full-time preachers and back to a part-time preacher.


• We have gone from 2 Sunday services and a Saturday evening service to one service attended by about 26 people weekly.


• We have gone from a congregation of descendants of the founders -- farmers and local merchants -- to worshippers from all walks of life and from all over the globe.

Changes? I guess there has always been change. Sometimes it's little things that you barely notice and sometimes, it's things that look majorly mind-blowing. One thing I know, it will always happen and all I can do is accept that and take it one day at a time.