Inevitable Change!

Scripture: Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away, and look, new things have come. 2 Corinthians 5:17

Picture it – Huntingtown Elementary School, Calvert County Maryland, 5th grade Academically & Intellectually Advanced (A.I.A.) class. We were studying cause and effect for our science unit. My class was so excited about making our very own paper mache volcanos! Our teacher stated that we would be building the volcanos, allowing them to dry over the next few days and then use baking soda, vinegar and food coloring to cause our volcano to erupt, spewing out “lava”. I had never heard of this chemical reaction, but I certainly couldn’t wait to experience it!

When the day finally came for us to try out our homemade volcanos, my group and I poured some baking soda into the opening of the volcano. After that, we added some red and orange food coloring (hey, ya gotta make it believable right?) Then came the full effect – adding the vinegar. All of a sudden, “lava” erupted from the volcano, ran down the sides and into the tray-like box we made as a base for the volcano. That one ingredient, the vinegar, caused everything else to change. Remind you of anything? Anyone??? JESUS … Jesus makes ALL the difference!
Jesus can change any life, any situation, any circumstance, anything and anybody! No matter how rough around the edges we are, He smooths us out (think about how sandpaper changes the surface of a piece of wood). When we accept Jesus in our hearts as our personal Savior, we can’t help but be changed! As we cultivate our relationship with Him (spending time with Him, reading His Word, studying it and applying it to our lives), we will notice some changes in our lives and in us! And although some of the changes don’t feel that good, He promises to work it out for (our) good [Romans 8:28].

We can trust Jesus with our broken, wayward lives and watch Him change us from the inside out, causing something beautiful to emerge. Never be afraid to change for the better. As time goes on, the goal is to look more and more like Jesus. So as you go through things, you grow through things. Growing is a part of life’s journey, especially the Christian journey. The bumps in the road remind us that we always have room to grow, room for improvement, room to be a better representative of Christ. Just remember that our Savior is right there with us as we navigate the road – the smooth parts, the rough parts, the bumpy parts, the hills and the valleys. No matter the plain, our strength and our help come from the Lord!    

Prayer: Father, thank You for choosing us to be Yours! When we weren’t looking for You, You were pursuing us! You never give up on us even when we give up on ourselves and others. Thank You for not being fickle like us, turning whichever way the wind blows. You are a consistent God! Never changing! Immutable! Thank You for being the change that meets the needs of everyone and everything You created! Only YOU could create something and make it more beautiful with time. Thank You Father for counting us worthy to be called Your children, no matter what! In Jesus’ Name we always pray … AMEN!

(by Cassaundra Turner)