Some Things Never Change

There is no single blueprint for overcoming life changes. Some changes you can expect. Others will totally blindside you. Some changes will bring you good fortune. Others may scourge you. Whether mild or extreme, you cannot avoid the onslaught of change. Change was purposefully written into the design of mortal experience. Without it, mountains cannot be molded, canyons cannot be carved, and souls cannot be shaped.

Yes, change is necessary. How else do we transform from rags to riches? Novice to professional? Unclean to exalted? We all have those desires to ascend to greater things. However, though a fruitful life necessitates change, change does not always facilitate a fruitful life. Riches can turn into rags. Security can become struggle. Redemption can devolve to ruination. The same forces that bring good fortune may also bring hard luck.

Perhaps we often fear change for this very reason. For the most part, human beings do not like playing games of chance, especially when personal comfort or security is on the line. To many of us, this life seems too much like an untidy game of fortuitous gambling. From this perspective, we see that everyone else gets the “get-out-of-jail-free” card. Everyone else gets the perfect roll.  Everyone else gets the ace up their sleeve. An abrupt and disrupting change can easily coax someone down this trail of thought. However, walking that path takes us farther from reality and closer to dissatisfaction.

Change amounts to much more than an unfeeling game of Russian roulette. I believe that change follows a much more purposeful and systematic progression in our lives than we think. Even the most tragic and wretched changes could potentially serve a purpose, provided that we cope with those changes in a way that strengthens our resolve and sharpens our character. Naturally, such changes could just as easily derail our desires for happiness and comfort. However, if we actively observe the bigger picture, then suddenly those changes put our lives and ambitions into a much clearer perspective.

Easier said than done I’m afraid. Big picture perspectives don’t form without a degree of effort or faith. For those suffering with tremendous grief or discomfort, big pictures don’t often matter. Big picture thinking won’t immediately remove the ache of loss, the fear of failure, or the angst of uncertainty. Change naturally triggers these inner struggles in each and every one of us. Despite the struggle, some people expertly navigate life’s shifting waters. In light of some of the recent major changes in our family, I’ve sought to understand how best adjust and respond to change. I don’t expect to gain a perfect understanding at this stage of life. Many events and hardships lay ahead, paving the way for additional understanding. In the meantime, this axiom sustains me: Some things never change.

When you consider how fragile and unstable life can be, you will begin to understand why there is some relief in knowing that some things remain constant and unmovable. There is comfort in knowing that day after day, you can count on some basic important truths. My experience, combined with the examples of others, has shown me that you can indeed survive and prosper in the midst of change. All you need to do is firmly grasp onto the things that don’t change.

Prior to our days of GPS and satellite imagery, sailors and navigators relied on much less sophisticated means of direction and bearings. Oft times, traveling in the right direction was a matter of life or death. Any deviance from the correct course could quickly lead to disaster. When traversing a tempestuous sea or a shifting desert landscape, navigators needed a consistent and reliable source of direction; one untouched by unstable winds or flowing tides. Once unable to use spacious landmarks or rudimentary tools, travelers looked heavenward. There, amidst a revolving dance of speckled lights, they fixed their gaze on a single star. At first glance, this star doesn’t stand apart from the myriad of celestial constellations. But this light possessed a unique quality which set it apart from every other star visible to the human eye. It never changes.

We call this star Polaris, the North Star. While every other star moves in concert throughout the night sky, Polaris appears stationary. Unlike the millions of other visible stars, the North Star is positioned close enough to the line of Earth’s axis projected into space. All other stars appear to move opposite to the Earth’s rotation beneath them. This characteristic made Polaris the single most reliable source of direction for early travelers.

Much like Polaris, there are things that remain constant in our lives. Even in spite of an abrupt or catastrophic change, we too can hold strong to those things that do not change. In the spirit of brevity, I would like to share with you a few of the most basic unalterable truths that I have discovered. These truths have sustained me in turbulent times and uncertain scenarios. I invite you to consider them with an open mind and a humble heart.

1)      Divine Providence Favors Righteousness

Call it karma or call it coincidence; good things happen to good people. Although providential blessings may seem distant or out of reach, I know that they do come to those who live by righteous principles. Some philosophies will have you believe that fortune and acclamation bestow themselves upon a handpicked class. This ideology espouses the concept of discriminate luck or undeserving affluence. I will tell you now that such ideology is founded on myth. Blessings always follow in the wake of decisions that esteem right over wrong, exertion over entitlement, and boldness over apprehensiveness.

I do not deny that some privileges are bestowed by birthright. Some enjoy a birthright of wealth and harmony. Others must fight against crippling poverty and familial discord. However, the differences between these two worlds ends there. The principles of persistence, attitude, and nerve always propel a lowly man towards success. Likewise, the standards of laziness, dishonesty, and perpetual grievance always dupe a privileged man into failure. Luck does not make us. We make our own luck.

2)      Help Is Always Near

Changes breed a number of powerful and debilitating emotions. Perhaps none is more harrowing than despair. Unchecked despair envelopes you in a shroud of melancholic loneliness. It leaves you longing for help, but it never delivers it. Angry and scared, we allow despair to exacerbate our cynicism and intensify our resentment. We become convinced that the road ahead is travelled solo. Despair impairs us in so many ways. But worst of all, total despair prevents us from considering and appreciating the abundant help that surrounds us.

It is foolish to think that ours is the only life that experiences shocking and sudden change. It is even more absurd to think that our struggles cannot be comprehended by others. This form of pride often prevents us from obtaining the help we desperately need when we absolutely need it most.

We are not expected to face change alone and without help. For most of us, we have a network of loyal family and friends that will happily employ their efforts to lift and empower us. To provide aid and support is one of the key eternal purposes of a family unit. Though this may seem unlikely from a narrow individual perspective, I would venture to guess that someone in your circle of siblings, parents, and friends actually understands the changes you are going through. Many of them know what it’s like to endure hardship, change direction, or overcome odds. Even in the rare circumstance where you find yourself distanced from your family or friends; it is in the good nature of most people to try to help where they can.

Open your eyes. Be wise enough to seek for help when you need it. Once you have found it, be humble enough to accept help when it is offered. Keep in mind that charity never fails. No matter where you are, or what circumstances you find yourself in, help is always near.

3)      You Have a Loving Heavenly Father

Above all else, keep this in mind: You have a Heavenly Father who knows you. He Loves you. He understands your struggles and is keenly aware of your heartaches. In that same vein, He also understands your strengths and your capabilities. He wants nothing more than to secure your happiness and ensure your exaltation. Remember that He designed this earthly experience to that end. Life altering changes only serve to accomplish that single goal. Remember that He keeps His promises. Remember that He provided a path forward through His son, Jesus Christ, that we may never have to wander alone in despair. Remember that no influence, neither natural nor synthetic, will alter His plan, renege His promises, nor reduce His love.

Of these three truths, this one holds the greatest significance. If this is true, then His plan provides the means whereby we can achieve happiness no matter our circumstance. If this is true, then He will manifest His love through the charitable actions of family and friends. If this is true, then the necessity of change begins to make more sense.

I know this to be true. I know this in spite of my great weakness and lowliness. In fact, I know of this truth because in part because of my weaknesses. I know that change is difficult. I know that some change is unwelcome and uncomfortable. However, I also know that change creates the circumstances whereby we can grow and progress towards our ultimate potential.

Yes, some things never change. And for that, I am very thankful.