By David Coy
Sunrise
Accepting change is not always easy. Sometimes we resist with all our might. I was reminded of the example of Jonah. He was told to go proclaim a message, and instead of complying, he went in the opposite direction. As a consequence his life did not turn out the way he expected. This reminds me of a quote that is attributed to Genghis Khan which illustrates how life can unfold quite differently than we thought it would and we do not like the change. “If you had not committed great sins, God would not have sent a punishment like me upon you.” Life does not always turn out in our favor, and we have to learn to be flexible and go with change that may not be to our choosing. Someone has said that they wished that life would go back to the way it used to be. In other words they wish that life would not have changed the way it did. When Jonah was in the belly of the fish, I am sure he thought the same. All those concurred by Genghis Khan probably thought likewise that they wish the change in their life had never taken place.
When we are adjusting to living drastically different from what we would have chosen, we need to accept the things that have happened (change) and accept the things that have not happened (change). This is not always easy, but it is doable. Whether we have lost a loved one or something we highly esteemed, it does us no good to wish on things that are no longer. We cannot change what has happened. The past is the past. We can resolve to make the very best of today that we are able. Even if this means we need to reach out to others for help and assistance. That is the beauty of having a support system consisting of family, friends, and others (this being the ideal). If we have a strong and variegated support system we can weather any change that comes our way. Hope to see you in support group.
This is Sunrise Aftercare.
