My keys look different than they did 1 month ago. They feel different, too. 

Except for my car key, every single key is different from August 30th. 

When I really think about it, it’s remarkable how much change and transition has come about in only the last 30 days. Honestly, I don’t really want to think about it too much because it’s kind of overwhelming. 

I’m living in a new home, off of the generosity of an awesome family. I ended one job and started another. I am venturing into new ways of serving at my Bible study and my church. My relationships with people have transformed for better and worse. 

I haven’t handled it all well. There have been countless tears, confusion, anger, questions, and “Why me’s?”. I’ve felt guilty for not spending enough time at home with my new housemates, for feeling that I was leaving people at my former job high and dry, and for being frustrated with the time commitments that things take. 

My time has been sucked up with one commitment after the other and I’ve had zero real time to process any of what exactly has happened to me this past month. 

Even though I haven’t taken everything as well as I would have liked, looking back, I feel that everything has been easier than it should have been. Some things have had to suffer, but I’ve learned that not everything is as important as it seems. God works outside of my time, and beyond my guilt, shame, and pride (and sometimes through it).

Knowing that this month was going to be a lot (but not actually knowing how much until it all came), I resolved to spend more intentional time with the Lord throughout my days in the Word and in prayer.

Each step of the way, an unchanging, sovereign, powerful God has been guiding me step by step, calming my heart, creating a hunger for the Word, and placing people around me who support and pray for and with me. Not because I deserve any of that, because I certainly do not. It’s because God in His immense faithfulness returns to us 1000 fold what we give to him. When we come to him with our time or our praise or worship, he does not return it void but instead pours out himself to us.

So, even though my keys and my world may look completely different one month later, my God does not, nor will He ever because “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” — Hebrews 13:8