PALM TREE BLUES


I love snow. Yet around this time of year, I am simply tired of winter. I long for sunshine, blue skies and warm temperatures and can't wait to see daffodils poke through the ground as blades of green grass emerge. I dream of being by the water and even though I don't live anywhere near any palm trees, just looking at pictures of them invite me to take a deep breath and relax. Makes me want to sing the “Palm Tree Blues”.

Life can move fast and life can move slow, but my life seems to be in a state of constant transition. Between losing my dad to death when I was 10, moving 3,000 miles away from home for college, then grad school, career, marriage, children, new career, divorce, new job, moving, second marriage, step-children, moving, empty nest, job change, moving, new churches, mom dying, new friends, moving, and moving. (Did I mention moving?) It makes me tired to even think of transitions! (Or packing)

With all this transition experience, I’ve tried on all kinds of different responses. I’ve fought them. I’ve pouted through them. I’ve been bitter and resentful. Mostly, I’ve been impatient. These approaches didn’t change my circumstances but they did change one thing - it made the transition worse. No abundant life. No firm grasp. No peace.  

Thankfully, I'm learning that transitions are a process, not the end. It's a process of change which passes us from one state, form or activity to another. That’s right – it's temporary - we’re “moving” on !

What transitions are you going through? How do you handle those transitions?  Do you give in? Or do you give up? 

Giving up is reactive, passive even. When you give up, you just don't care. You are resigned to the fact that no matter what, the change you want isn’t within reach, or at least not WHEN you want it to be, so why bother? You want change, but resist it. Or you resent that nothing has changed or that you have no power to change anything. You'll know when you've given up because you lose hope. This is what the blues are made of.

However, when you give in, something completely different happens. It's active. When we surrender we actually have to DO something - we have to give it away, we have to hand it over, because we no longer own it. And we give it to the most capable of sources - God. 

 And then we watch. Watch Him change situations and watch Him change people because God can. He thrives on change. It's not up to us to do it, it's just up to us to watch God do it. Take notice of what God is doing. No more singing the blues. 

Do you remember when Jesus entered Jerusalem? There were palms ! Instead of singing the blues, palms were actually used to sing praises to the King of the Jews. So raise your palms instead of singing the blues! Be active instead of passive.! Reflect on God’s omnipotence, truth, justice and mercy. His faithfulness, righteousness and love. 

The righteous will flourish like a palm tree
Psalms 92:13

Surrender the process, surrender the how, and get a firm grasp on a palm tree and just worship! With Him, you have hope. The hope that one day He will reign ! 

After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;
Revelation 7:9

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