Changes

Changes in life are interesting occurrences; they can be an improvement, or not, depending on ones view of them. However, I believe if we allow God to use them as He desires, they can help us grow more spiritually.

When I first established this blog, I had no idea where my path would lead me on my journey within the world of the internet. I rather simplistically initiated this blog as my outlet for witness to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on the internet, but along the way found other outlets for my time and attention; i.e. other blogs at first, and then on an internet forum of which I eventually became a moderator. Thus, this site has languished due to my neglect to the point that I had to work a bit to re-establish my identity to enter and publish again, since much has changed in the management of Blogspot.com.

Well what to do with this site? I have decided, for now, to take it more in the direction of publishing changes in my thinking as a Christian since coming to the internet; primarily in the changes of how I work through issues and concepts that challenge me now, which were very much non-existent when I first established Worthythinking, and to analyze these changes as to how they will effect my witness of Christ; especially to those with whom I now work alongside who come from vastly different situations in life than I have previously known.

A primary area of change that has affected me in the last several years is in the area of employment. I have gone from being a self-employed individual in the heating, cooling, and refrigeration contracting business to un-employed due to changes in my physical inability to do hard labor. This process was a slow one from self-employed to being employed in the retail sector, and two occasions of un-employed time leading to my current low paying job as an on call "taxi" driver for railroad train crews at night. I am investigating other avenues of employment constantly, but at present this is what has been opened to me so I do it since I need whatever income I can earn as I look for a better position.

I do view this current employment as God's answer to prayer. It is not the answer I would have expected, or preferred to have had for my prayers, and those on my behalf which my brothers and sisters in Christ have offered, but I find that perhaps God is working through this experience to teach me several lessons in life including that I can survive on less as long as I look to Him for what I/we need. I will also note that employment for my wife has gone the other way and improved greatly in the field of private nursing. Interesting how this has reversed the "normal" route of the man being the bread winner and the wife as home maker and supplemental income producer in our home.

Since we are "empty nesters" and are coming closer to the Social Security years, our needs, which are primarily medical, are more in focus and we are learning to curb our "wants"; although not with relish. One effect of these changes, which is major for us, is the drop in church fellowship that our current job schedules demand. Evening services are not open to me with my current work schedule; and the schedule my wife is working allows for no Sunday morning worship. However, she can sometimes make an evening meeting, although arrive a bit late due to the timing of work and meetings. Along with this is the loss of the ability we formally had to "take off" and visit our children and grand children, along with other extended family members and friends. This is possibly the most frustrating "change" that we have faced.

This job is also teaching me are that many people survive with much less in life than I have been blessed with over the years. I am seeing a side of living that I was distanced from previously with the income, and free time, we previously enjoyed as a family. I am also realizing that poor financial planning on my part is also a lesson in this situation, and that reality is painfully sobering as well, yet not one that God cannot help us learn from as we look to Him and strive to live within our current means.

Well, I hope this is a beginning. I plan, as the Lord and schedule allows, to ruminate more on these changes in life and how they are reshaping our little part of the world as they shape us as Christians. I doubt if the postings will be all that profound, but hopefully a way of sharing what I am learning and to focus my own thinking as I go through the process of change.