If It Ain't Broke, Break It!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

As soon as I sat down to write tonight, the very first word that came to mind was change. Not your coins, but the change that occurs in our life. It seems that change is a natural, necessary process in our lives.

Our weather changes with the seasons. Those beautiful little buds that are starting to emerge from the trees are there because our winter has passed (hopefully) and spring is here. Tonight as I listen to the rain, I realize how much I appreciate the rain today. Today was a drastic change from yesterday, but no less important or enjoyable. I will especially enjoy the rain tonight as tired as I am.

We go through changes in our lives as well. We all have changed so much from the person we were five, ten, or twenty years before. Through those changes, we feel we are doing what is right for us at the time. We live our life based on current circumstances. Five years from now, we will most assuredly see things differently. Perspective is ALWAYS different the farther we are from those changes.

So how do you feel about change? Do you welcome change with open arms or do you resist change? Do you see change as opportunity or cringe with fear? I guess the answer for me is both. In some areas of my life, I embrace change. For those of you who know me well, you know that is especially true with my home. I change things simply for the sake of change. Whether it's furniture, arrangement, or even walls, I can only stand things the same for a short time. Hey, I never said I was normal. Now before you feel sorry for my hubby, realize that we are the perfect match for each other. He is Mr. Steady! Together, we make a pretty good pair. But other changes scare me. Financial changes, changes with our children, and health changes all scare me to death. These changes often come in the form of a crisis. John F. Kennedy said, "When written in Chinese, the word crisis is composed of two characters - one represents danger, and the other represents opportunity." Can you find opportunity in the midst of your crisis?

A great book I am reading offers some great insight on changes. Dan Miller in his book 'No More Mondays' tells a story about a dramatic change in football in 1906. The forward pass was legalized. Most teams resisted the change and continued to play with the running and kicking game they were familiar with. St. Louis University decided to welcome the change and extensively used the forward pass. That first season St. Louis outscored their opponents 402 to 11. Now that is pretty dramatic. Not every change in your life will be. Change can bring restoration and new life. Some one once told me that if you are not growing, you become stagnant. So when I read the passage: If It Ain't Broke, Break It, I could definitely relate. Sometimes we need that fire lit to get us moving and to keep us from becoming stagnant.

Of course, change is scary. Whether it comes from something out of our control or moving our life in a new direction, there is risk. Another quote from the same book is, "Sometimes the greatest risk is not taking one." Are you willing to take a risk? Can you afford not to?