Every day when I log onto my Facebook account, I look through my memories that I have posted on that date over the last several years. Sometimes those memories make me laugh, sometimes they make me smile, sometimes they bring a tear to my eye, and sometimes they just cause me to pause and to think.
Recently, I saw a post in my memories where I was bemoaning the fact that I had to replace a kitchen clock and a bathroom laundry basket. The clock had stopped working and could no longer be fixed. The plastic weaving of the laundry basket had given way so the laundry just fell out through the side of it. Neither one of them was anything special, but I was bemoaning their loss because these were things I had purchased when I was in seminary ….. about 30 years prior! Because I had them so long, they had simply become part of my “stuff.” I liked them, and I wanted to keep them forever.
It sounds silly, even to me, but I get attached to my “stuff.” Some items have special meaning because I inherited them from my grandmother or they were a gift from someone important to me. However, most of the time the stuff I’m attached to are things like that kitchen clock or that laundry basket. It is illogical to become attached to such things, but I do.
I think we all have some of that attachment in us. We attach meaning to things that maybe aren’t that valuable or important. A big part of it is because we human beings don’t like change. Sometimes we go out of our way to try to ensure that something won’t change. I have often shared the story that when I was an intentional interim pastor I often taught congregations about accepting change, but then Art would move the garbage bags to a new place and I would go ballistic. Even when it would be logical to change, we resist and resist.
Happy New Year! We have entered into 2025. Many people make resolutions about changes they wish to make in the new year. Unfortunately, most of those resolutions get broken within days or weeks. Why? Because we resist change, and it’s easier to go back to our old ways than to continue on a journey of change. My prayer every new year is that we make the changes that we need to make and then we maintain those changes in our lives. The new year gives us a chance to pause and reflect on exactly what those changes need to be for us.
Blessings on your journeys of change this year!
Pastor Beth
920-562-2853
pastorbmacha@yahoo.com
Regular Office Hours: Tuesday and Thursday 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
