September is a thrilling time for me. Although I'm not in the classroom anymore, I suppose it's the teacher inside of me that gets excited about Back To School sales. I used to happily search for bargains on school supplies for my classroom, and I still find myself taking a peek at the aisles of supplies that are available to moms, dads, teachers, and all other interested shoppers.
For me, September also signals change as we transition from summer to autumn. In my part of the USA, the northeast, temperatures begin to decline and mornings greet us with cooler air, a welcomed change from the stifling heat and sticky humidity.
Okay, you can probably tell: I'm not exactly a summer person. Bring on the new season, bring on the change!
"I don't like change," a friend said to me recently. I agreed with her to some extent; change can be a scary place. I believe stepping into the unfamiliar or exchanging the routine for something new is a challenge for many people. When my novel was released, I was suddenly cast into a new arena: Book Signings. Sure, I had attended signings before and seen how they were done, but it's different when you're the one holding the pen as customers come closer to view what you have to offer. Now that I've done a few signings, the experience is more familiar, though my nerves still show up from time to time. Yet here, while working in this new place in my life, God never fails to gently remind me, "I am with you." And that's the whole point. If it is God who has led us into our change, we can rest assured that He is with us as we experience it.
Mary was chosen to bring God's Son, the Savior, into the world. This was surely a life-changing event for Mary, but she was not alone. God was with her. So whatever change we face, whether it be a new job, moving to a new city, a storyline in our manuscript that the Holy Spirit is leading us to write differently, the loss of a family member, or the birth of a new baby, we can take comfort in knowing that if God ordered the change, our change is fully supported by Him and He has not left us to deal with it alone. "...for thou art with me..." Psalm 23:4.
Mata Elliott is the author of the recent release, forgivin' ain't forgettin', published by Walk Worthy Press/Warner Books. This is her first novel. Visit Mata at www.mataelliott.com.
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