This picture was taken on our last day in our Maryland home.
God, investigate my life;
get all the facts firsthand.
I’m an open book to you;
even from a distance, you know what I’m thinking.
You know when I leave and when I get back;
I’m never out of your sight.
You know everything I’m going to say
before I start the first sentence.
I look behind me and you’re there,
then up ahead and you’re there, too—
your reassuring presence, coming and going.
This is too much, too wonderful
I can’t take it all in! Psalm 139:1-6 The Message
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This month’s devotion explores the grief of transitions and God’s promises.
Distraction of Moving
Have you ever had to give away or sell something that you love? You may have found yourself in this situation for many reasons: financial need, a job change, a move. to name a few. Summer is a time when many people relocate to a new area. Seven years ago, we were preparing to leave a home of thirty-two years. I couldn’t believe the time it took packing, throwing away, making decisions, and saying goodbye. I wasn’t prepared for the grief of letting go. It felt like a part of my heart was being torn out.
But God gives purpose to our transitions, moves, losses, and changes. He lovingly accompanies us, preparing new experiences and relationships on our new path. He composes the melody of our lives through each moment, weaving together joyous chords, minor melodies, pounding bass notes with drums, and sweet harmonies in our life song. At the same time, He uses what we give up or leave behind to bless others.
When I moved from Maryland to Colorado, it had its joys and challenges. There were many precious memories, yet so much to clean out. I wasn’t prepared for the overwhelming grief. In the process, God revealed new insights to me.
Melodies of the Home
By Peg Arnold
Empty rooms and echoing halls once filled with
the music of laughter, voices, and footsteps.
Walls that were decorated with faces of loved ones’ smiles,
are now bare, with only the years of memories soaked inside.
Oh if these walls had voices, the ballads they would sing
If the floors were instruments, the rhythm of life would be a symphony
First the bouncing beat of babies and toddlers
Full of giggles and teary-eyed cries
Boo boos being kissed and bedtime stories retold
Next the chaotic cacophony of school books and
choruses full of chatter, chiding and cheers,
Interspersed with descants of backyard picnics,
Refrigerator Picassos, piles of laundry, and insatiable appetites.
As the family grows into the teen years, the symphony reaches a climax of
the dichotomous joys and challenges that accompany emerging independence,
Ending with a mournful melody interspersed with harmonies of joyful expectation!
This home embraces the many memories and movements carved into the
walls and floors from each season of life,
But just like seasons, houses change, families grow up and move on.
This house now silent, cleaned spotless, swept clear of generational legacies,
Becomes an empty score for the composition of a new family chorus.
God bless this home, the tunes that dwell within, and the harmonies of a new song.
Now, think about the changes you’re going through. Maybe it’s not about moving out of a house, but something else is changing. What’s the tune of your transition? Is it a mournful melody or filled with joyful chords? What’s there to appreciate in the midst of it? What lessons can you take away? And where’s that glimmer of hope peeking through?
Dear Lord,
You are the composer of our lives. You see our past, and you know our future. You know how we will respond when we encounter changes and seasons. Help us to see the joys amid the losses, the hope instead of the fear, and cling to your faithfulness through it all. Amen.
As always, I appreciate your encouragement and seek to serve!
Devotions for the Distracted Heart 