Seasons of Change

Read: Isaiah 55:8-9; Jeremiah 29:11-13

Julia slammed the door to her room. It had been a month since her family had moved away from Texas. Her dad had gotten a better job in Tennessee. Life in Texas had been hard, but at least she’d had her friends and family. After crying for a while, Julia heard her door creak open.

“Julia, what’s wrong?” Mom asked.

“I want to go back to Texas,” Julia said. “Why did we have to leave everyone behind?”

Mom walked into the room and sat down on the bed. “I know that moving was a big change for you.” She hugged Julia. “But things change sometimes.”

Julia rubbed her eyes. “But I don’t want things to change!”

Mom was quiet for a minute. “Do you see those orange maple leaves on the trees outside?” she asked as she pointed to the window in Julia’s room. “Did they have to change to turn orange?”

Julia rolled her eyes. “Of course, Mom. They were green when we moved here, and now they’re orange because the weather is getting colder. I learned about it in school. The tree is getting ready to sleep for the winter and doesn’t need the green leaves anymore.”

Mom nodded. “You’re right. The tree will grow new leaves in the spring. Change is hard, but it’s needed for growth. Just like those pretty leaves, lots of things change in the world. Sometimes God allows seasons of change in our lives to help us learn to trust Him more and grow in our faith. When you trusted Jesus as your Savior, God started something new in your life, and He is continuing to change you and help you become more like Jesus.”

Julia looked at the trees outside the window. “Do you think God can help me even though I miss Texas?” she asked.

“Of course!” Mom smiled. “The Bible talks about how God’s way is always best—He knows what He’s doing when things change in our lives and promises to help us through them. Why don’t we pray right now and ask God to help us trust Him and remember He’s with us?”

Julia smiled. “Great idea, Mom.”