Who Has A Hard Time With Change?

Do you have a difficult time with change? I didn't believe I did. Since I've gotten older though, I've realized I would rather run from change than embrace it.
Recently I had an epiphany and a spiritual growth spurt.  If you are someone that doesn't care for change this might help you too.
I'm the girl that enjoys a hot shower.  When the air is cold, the comfort of this hot shower makes me NOT want to step on the cold floor, can you relate? That hot shower is the comfort zone. The cold floor is the change to come.
My space at work, home, or other ministries are comfortable. I know what to expect, my schedule is on a tight ship and things run rather smoothly. They run smoothly until a change in the process occurs. Now I am forced to readjust my lifestyle, my space, my schedule. Eureka! NO!
I'm now feeling disgruntled, I don't want to change my routine, I like what I do and when I do it.  What do you mean I need to organize and delegate? I didn't do that before, so why now? How did I get elected to be in charge?
I am invisibly struggling in the straight jacket that is marked with bold letters "CHANGE."  But I don't want to. (Can you see the temper tantrum going on?)
Okay; I'll breath now and move on. I need a change in my life, it's a good time to stop and relax a while, give myself a break from my normal schedule. Yeah, that's the answer.Breath.
Here's the epiphany. I stop and actually listen to myself and the words that are coming out of my mouth. I recognize that I don't like change. I don't want things around me to change or even make a slight adjustment. I don't like the change so I am just not going to.  Oops, there I go again, back into the disgruntled department.  Can you relate? 
It was like my past flashed before my mind. I'm doing what I've always done. Nothing has changed, just because I said I was going to slow down and adjust; I didn't.  So what can I do.  Hmmm.
Okay, make the choice to change.  Taking a deep breath, I am going to try this again.  I'm ready to run and move onward to greener pastures now.  Here I go, I'm taking off, I'm diving into the change. It's not so bad now.  I am going to look at it from a different perspective; okay this is harder than I realize.I DO NOT LIKE THIS TEETER TOTTER: LET ME OFF!
So I decided to have a little talk with Jesus.  I told him I recognize how I am ready to run from this change instead of embracing it. If all I know how to do is run from change, how can I embrace it instead?
Do you know the serenity prayer?  Most of us know the beginning part.."God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference." I've got that part down.
But it's the second half that the Serenity prayer that the Lord brought to my mind that changed my life and I'm embracing the change now.
"Living one day at a time, enjoying one moment at a time; accepting hardship as a pathway to peace; taking, as Jesus did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it; trusting that You will make all things right if I surrender to Your will; so that I may be reasonably happy in this life and supremely happy with You forever in the next. Amen"

WOW, I finally understood the second half of that prayer and I've been praying this for three years or more. It's that kind of change we don't want to accept but need to accept?
First we're only promised one day at a time. Jesus didn't give us tomorrow; it's only an idea. "Accepting hardships as a pathway to peace," I don't like hardships, long sufferings, but I will accept it because there is peace on the other side. "Taking as Jesus did this sinful world as it is not as I would have it," man I want what I want and I want it now. If you don't give it to me on a silver platter I'm out of here. I don't want to delegate or even be in charge, but I will for Jesus' purpose.  Isn't that  how we should change our mind set? Be more like Jesus? He took this world as it is, loves as we are, shouldn't we take things the way they are? "Change is going to happen Marjorie, embrace it and get over yourself."
Okay Lord, I'll surrender to this change I must go through, keep my eyes on you and the home that is set before me. This world is not where I belong, but just give me Jesus and I'll be alright. After all, he's the reason I do what I do, go where I go, and run my race for.
So why do you run your race? What do you do about the changes in your life? Do you do what I use to do, run? Or do you face them head on and just accept them for what they are; changes?
No one enjoys an interruption in their life not even in their schedule, but it happens. How you respond is up to you.  I'm embracing change and looking forward to enjoying it all the way through to the other side.

~Be encouraged, change can be good.

Disclaimer....I enjoy my work, home life, and ministries and I wouldn't change them for anything...BUT for Jesus.