Thammie Sy, Reporting for duty!

I guess you can call our lifestyle as nomadic for the past month. Everything has been somewhat unstable for us since the start of the summer. To recap, our helper got pregnant and had to leave, our other helper got sick and eventually also had to leave, we got a temporary labandera (who made it clear early on that she was only going to work for us for a month, which made it difficult for me to trust her), our aircon broke down right when the  heat was at its peak so we all had to squeeze into our kids’ bedroom, I almost got dropped from my class since I was unable to  report (having no one to leave the kids with), our temp finally left, we decided to stay over at my in-laws house for a week so I can attend my classes again (and leave the kids with them), we stayed in two different rooms over  a period of only a couple of days, and now….I’m in Cagayan de Oro! We just flew in today. Whew!

One thing I’m not really all that excited about, is having to cope with change. If it were up to me, I would love for things and routines to stay the same. It usually takes me some time to get settled into a particular routine and get comfortable with new things.

I am  now reminded of the story about Moses and the Israelites, when they exited Egypt. They were given instructions to stay in one place when they saw the pillar of cloud settle, and pack up and leave as soon as the cloud was lifted. How difficult that must have been for the homemakers and mothers at that time! Imagine not knowing how long you had to stay in a certain place, and not being able to psyche yourself up for the the next season of your life. Yikes.

One thing that probably  kept the women sane in spite of all the “instability” at that time, however, one thing that perhaps made it somehow easier to follow God’s instructions, trust His leading and wait on Him for their next move, was the fact that they have seen God’s faithfulness as He led them. They have seen His character and knew that it was best to wait on Him (the times they got into most trouble were the times when they forgot to wait and trust!). They were able to trust God to be God, and so let God be God (except for some times of “rebellion” due to impatience on their part).

I know that the changes that have been going on in our household can be considered petty compared to some of the changes that some of you might be experiencing. While mine is just a matter of having to cope with some form of inconvenience in terms of our living conditions, some of you might be going through major transitions. For the other moms, it might be having to cope with changes in your kids as they enter different stages in their lives. For other wives, it might be changes in their husband’s career, or changes in the dynamics of their relationships. Again to some, it might be having to go through rough adjustments due to some loss in finances, or health, or someone in the family.  Just the same, I think that we can all learn from the women of the Bible. We can all rest in the fact that we have a God who is faithful. We have a God who is in control, who not only takes note of the changes that are going on in our lives, but is actually on top of all things. Most of all, we have a God who loves us and who will never leave us nor forsake us.

On a side note, I was initially concerned with how my kids will cope with all the change. I was expecting them to cry and look for our helpers, to perhaps complain about the instability. That was not the case at all. On the contrary, I don’t think they even considered anything as unstable. In their eyes, we have been on top of things. They are excited with the fact that they have no other “ate” to run to, only mom and dad. And they are okay because they can see and feel that mom and dad’s love for them remains constant. Ooh, how I want to say that “they’re okay because they are blessed with a mom whose character is very steady, who doesn’t snap nor gets stressed”….but God sees and knows EVERYTHING, so I will not go that route. O=)

How we can best cope with change is not all that different from how we can help our children best cope with what they feel is change. Just like us, they need to know that there is someone who is in control of things, someone they can trust, someone who is on their side, and someone who loves them unconditionally. It is good that they know that their mom/dad can be that someone, but it is best if they learn to look to their Heavenly Father,  to be that Someone.