If each one of us looked back on all of the life changing moments in our lives, I bet that we would instantly remember the anxiety and angst that came with so many of those changes.  As humans, we are creatures of habit for a reason.  For the most part, we don’t like change!  Change can be scary and brings with it the fear of the unknown.  Now, going back to those memories, I bet you can also conjure up some memories of changes that took your life in a whole new direction.

I will admit that I also hate change.  It scares me and takes me out of my comfort zone.  There is a reason I have stayed at all of my jobs for extended periods of time, why I have lived in the same city and home for as long as I have and why I surround myself with those I feel the most comfortable with.  These everyday life occurrences bring a sense of safety that change disrupts when it makes an appearance.

My daughter has undergone a lot of changes in the last year but in her sport, gymnastics, she has experienced even more change than in any other area.  We took the leap of faith to switch teams and coaches which is something she knew she needed to do to keep progressing but it was also very scary stepping into a new team and getting accustomed to a new coach.  She soon discovered that this was a change that would bring her so much growth and some amazing new friends in the process.  Sadly, after a strong competition season, she found out the heartbreaking news that her coach was moving along with her closest teammate.  Once again, those same feelings of nervousness and worry crept back in.  The most important thing we can teach our children about change is that sometimes it will bring a positive outcome and alter the course of our lives and sometimes it can bring feelings of sadness or negativity, but in either case, it will always provide the ultimate opportunity for growth.

I have always believed that God has a plan for all of us so even in the toughest moments of change, I try to rely on this fact and hold near to the promise that he will watch over and protect me but I also know that in so many moments of change where I thought life was going to take a difficult turn, I was able to gain some significant wisdom that allowed me to mature and continue to follow the right path.

“Change is hard at first, messy in the middle and gorgeous at the end”.  Looking back at those same memories that we started with, I can guess that this same truth applied to all of those moments of change.  As I experience this change alongside my daughter, my advice to her is to be open to the change and give it a chance because it may just result in something great in the end.