Spare Change

Today my wife celebrates her 28th year of life. At one point she stated how she was starting to feel as her youth slipped away. Today also marked the last day of my parents visit from Colorado. They stayed with us 5 days. This is about the magic number as it takes 2 days for my kids to completely warm up to them. These two events connect, I promise.

I am not the same person I was when living with my parents, however, if I spend enough time with them, I can quickly shift from being a husband and father into simply being their child. This is never a good thing.

Many of us experience significant growth in college as we leave the nest. When we return for breaks, much of that progress is reverted as we return to our old self, to the one we were back in High School or younger. It’s almost as if there is a mode of operation that we can build on, but there are times when that mode of operation becomes our comfort zone and we revert to childish ways.

There is so much change that takes place as we build upon our childhood. We become different people, who can indeed become the same children if we don’t continue to foster growth in ourselves. In this regard, there is a beauty and a grace in change. We develop, we mature, and yes sweetheart, we get older. 

To me there is a deeper beauty in the unchanging nature of our God. He is, was and ever
shall be. Why is change in our case a good thing, and the absents of change in God’s case also a good thing? It’s simple, God has arrived. He is the ‘best version of himself’ as Matthew Kelly would put it. We are still striving to become the best, or at least, better versions of ourselves, and year by year, this should be celebrated even if it makes you feel older.

Discernment and following the call is vital to our growth. It is almost always the case that a response to God requires change on our part. After all, that is what conversion is. So as you turn one day or one year older today, ask yourself if you have been open enough to God’s will that you are willing to change into a better you. And remember, as we continue to grow out of our childhood, into adulthood, we are always God’s children and that is a foundation that we can revert to as we grow.

Chris Bartlett