Change

"It is not necessary to change. Survival is not mandatory." - W. Edwards Deming

"For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it." – Jesus in Mark 8:35 (NIV)

The day before we moved from Rifle, Colorado to Parker, Colorado it was 20 degrees below zero at night and 10 degrees in the day. Our moving van came over from the Eastern Slope (Denver.) Rifle was on the Western Slope. Usually the two slopes had very different weather. Denver was mild (39 degrees) that day.

 

The two young men who came over to move us came and loaded us and got a motel room for the night. I suggested to them to fill up with #1 diesel fuel and not #2 that night. #2 turned to jelly when it got that cold. I knew because I had spent 4 years managing the outdoor portion of a mine in northwestern Colorado. We had lots of heavy equipment that used diesel.

 

As luck (life) would have it, the moving van would not start the next day (jelled fuel.) The young drivers had never used anything but #2 diesel in their short moving van career. They did not change that night. My family and I drove over to Parker and waited 5 days before the weather got warm enough for the movers to get their truck started. Rather than moving in the same day as the move, we lived out of an empty house. Not sure what their boss said after we called for 5 days. Evidently, they sent another truck over to get our trailer.

 

Change is hard. Some change is not helpful or healthy. Some change is absolutely essential. Jesus invites such a change.

 

Jesus' call to us to follow him is a call to change: to change for the better. We resist, rationalize, avoid: whine. Our attitude never changes God's economy, an economy that says "die to live." I admit this is a whopper and makes no sense to me. But that does not change its truth. I must let go.

 

What needs to die in you in order for you to live? I'll pray for your change. Please pray for mine.