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 One of my earliest memories from growing up in a small rural city in New Zealand, is the magnificent gothic church that my grandparents, parents, myself and my brothers all attended from birth. This tall wooden structure, with its towering spire, was a real landmark. It stood in the center of the town, and in the center of all of our lives. At noon every day, its bell would ring sending a unifying sound over the whole city and it could be seen from just about everywhere.
When I was five or six, I remember my grandmother, who was a very devout woman, making the one block walk every day to the church, often dragging me along with her by my earlobe. During my teen years and into my twenties, attending church was not on my agenda. But even after I moved to Australia in the mid-seventies, thinking of home always included thoughts of that church and the way it had affected my life. It was part of my foundation.
Several years ago, vandals set the church on fire and it burnt to the ground. In one night, the foundation of thousands of families, multiplied memories, countless weddings and funerals, was gone! Just like that! Even now I am saddened when I realize that the only place it continues to exist is in the memories of those who were touched by it.
After committing my life to Christ, all of my kids were raised from birth in our church in Australia; Sydney Christian Life Centre (a.k.a. The Hillsong Church). This was an integral part of their foundation. But when we moved to America two years ago, the founder of that church retired and it received a much needed renovation. However, these changes were not received well by our kids because it meant that their foundation was being affected. Even if they could go back to Australia everything would be different.
Change is a part of life, and a sign of life is change. The more alive something is, the more it will be changing. Humans are naturally averse to change, because we base our security on stability. But even the most enduring "sign-posts" of our lives can suddenly disappear overnight when we least expect it.
The only affective way to handle any change that life may bring, is to rest on the only unchanging "Rock" that is "the same today, yesterday and forever". This is the anchor that keeps us steady through every storm. If our feet are firmly planted on Him, then the whole world could be falling down around you but you would still have His peace.
Change that comes not from God, will always bring anxiety, worry and concern with it. But any change that does come from God, may not always be comfortable, but it will always be accompanied with that unmistakable peace that only He can give. "The world can't give it - and the world can't take it away!" That's how you know it is from God.
Let Him be your enduring and unchanging foundation today!
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