As time goes by I realize more and more just what a creature of habit and comfort I am. I have my routines. There are those favorite spots to sit in my home where the sunlight is at a certain angle and the furniture envelopes my body in just that comforting, familiar way. The color palette suits my temperament and sets me at ease. I like all my “stuff’. The freshness of the new things and the memories of the old are all pleasing to me.
Over the years we have traveled a lot and lived in numerous places. There was always that tandem emotion of excitement coupled with adjustment. The thrill of discovering a new place would fire up, then get tamped down by that period of adjustment to the strangeness of the new. But, I always had my “stuff’ to ensure a certain level of comfort and familiarity. It’s funny how attached we can become to our comforts. In many ways its a good thing to have a place of refuge. Most of us need that space where we feel safe and at peace. But, sometimes our circumstances, whether by choice or destiny, land us in a place without our props of comfort.
I guess the question is, how do we respond to this change? How does the discomfort of the unfamiliar affect our moods, our level of contentment, our ability to be comfortable? This is where I find myself at the moment, by choice, away for a few months, housesitting for strangers, without my stuff. I’m not comfortable. I’m in the adjustment phase of transition without the familiarity of my stuff. All the colors, scents, lighting and textures have changed and I’m trying to get settled…
I want to anticipate the possibilities that can come from this temporary change of lifestyle. Sometimes its a really good thing to get out of our comfort zone and stretch ourselves in those areas where we have become a bit too inflexible. I’m not high-maintenance but I’m not exactly roll-with-the-flow either. But, life is full of change for us all, both the expected and the unexpected. We can all look back and see the inconstancy of things in our lives. It doesn’t matter if you’re 20 or 80, you’ve got a history of change.
The one constancy in my life has been the presence of God. In all the travels and relocations, he has been my biggest comfort. That is the benefit of the adjustment phase of transition. It serves as a great reminder that circumstances and surroundings are all temporary, external things but the God of the universe permeates my internal being and brings a very different kind of comfort. It’s the kind of comfort that says its okay to lean in and see what new treasures he has for me. What can I learn about him, about myself, about others? The possibilities are endless…
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”
Proverbs 3:5-6 ESV