By the Way: Sometimes change is the best time to appreciate

By Kristy Reimers-Loader on April 27, 2024.

So, my husband and I have been looking after a friend’s cat. She’s beautiful, and quite affectionate, but – it’s been an adventure.

Shortly after she took up residence with us, it became apparent she was bent on destruction. All my beloved plants and the recliners we want to keep intact are behind closed doors, and everything and anything edible is put away in cupboards and the fridge.

Even the microwave has been brought into service as storage from She Who (Thankfully) Has No Thumbs. As I survey the now-barren landscape of our living room and kitchen however, I’m pleasantly surprised by the calm I feel.

All the clutter is gone, and it feels oddly like freedom. Perhaps this is instructive for the times we’re currently inhabiting.

In the first verses of Genesis, all was chaos and there was no order to be found in the world. Today, our world can feel a bit chaotic, as well, as we struggle to find some stability and solid ground on which to stand.

But as it’s written, when the Spirit passed over the troubled waters, God took the initiative and brought the universe into being from that formless void.

In other words, chaotic times can be difficult to weather; things we thought we knew and could rely upon are all of a sudden thrown into flux, but such times also hold great potential for creativity and innovation.

So, if you’re feeling like it’s all a bit wobbly and the ground is shifting under your feet, friends, take a moment and remember there have been many such moments in our past – and there will be more in our future – but God is forever, and God has promised to be with us forever.

And sometimes, when it feels like the things that have always surrounded us are changing or disappearing, that might be the best time to appreciate the blessing of freedom in the space they’ve opened up.

Chaplain Rev. Kristy Reimers-Loader, priest in the Anglican Church of Canada

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