Changes

A straight line on an EKG means you have no heartbeat. It’s called a flatline. Without a heartbeat we cannot live.

A flatline means death.

This visual aid encourages my simple pondering thoughts as I look at the one-word {changes}. It’s true. It’s science. A healthy heartbeat on an EKG looks like a lot of ups and downs with a definite rhythm.

And life is a lot like that heartbeat shown on an EKG. A healthy life will have ups and downs in a rhythm. There are seasons of mountain tops and seasons of valleys. There are challenges, which are meant to strengthen us.

I’m not a medical professional, but I can read webMD.

And in a healthy rhythm the victory creates a time of refreshment and rejoicing. Ultimately, we are able to expect changes as a normal part of a healthy life knowing that the valleys will be temporary and the mountain top will offer an amazing view.

When our eyes are fixed on Jesus, changes become filtered through His grace and His compassion for us. He doesn’t want us to live in pain, but Jesus does want us to rely on Him to grow stronger in faith and maturity.

As I look back on the various decades of my life I recognize the pattern of changes. As a child of the 60’s & 70’s (1900’s) I wanted changes to make me grown up. I begged my parents to give me privileges of adulthood like sitting at the grown up table drinking coffee after dinner. Of course, all I could see were the benefits of adulting with no clue of the weighty challenges.

“In fact, when we were with you, we kept telling you that we would be persecuted. And it turned out that way, as you well know. But Timothy has just now come to us from you and has brought good news about your faith and love. He has told us that you always have pleasant memories of us and that you long to see us, just as we also long to see you.”
‭‭1 Thessalonians‬ ‭3‬:‭4‬, ‭6‬ ‭

From teen years through the middle decades I fought the temptation of striving. It was a lie that I gave into on too many occasions. The lie says that if you just work hard enough you can achieve this glorious plateau of goodness and stay there.

Happily ever after!

It’s a lie. And as we’ve already seen from the EKG example, that plateau would equate to a flatline. And a flatline on an EKG means you’re dead.

Coming into my senior years, I am more inclined to embrace the joys of a carefree child. Not because seniors have pain-free lives. Rather the opposite is true.

Finally, I’m beginning to recognize the peaks and valleys as times of activity and excitement followed by a time of slowing down and receiving rest. Yes, I’m a slow learner. A grateful life long learner.

Grateful am I that God never changes. He is my one constant. And He’s never given up on me. His word becomes my prayer because my words tend to ask for the wrong things. I ask for comfort and happiness, love and security in a straight line, but Jesus takes my hand and takes me on a roller coaster ride. When I’m afraid, He’s got me. When I’m rejoicing, He’s smiling too.

The flatline will come one day on earth and then I will have stepped into His arms. Perhaps then I will have found the glorious plateau of everlasting goodness. Only He knows what is ahead for me.

And Jesus never changes!

Eyes on Jesus and Shine,

~Lisa