Change

September is my favorite month of the year.  Why you might ask...it so happens to be the month that the kids go back to school, it is my birthday month and it is also State Fair month, elephant ears with butter and sugar - yummy!  All those things are true and unfortunately living in Thailand I will not be attending the Puyallup Fair this year - but I haven't missed out on elephant ears, well I have missed out on the kind you eat - but I have seen and touched real elephant ears - not quite the same yummy goodness but still pretty fun. There is one thing that I am missing this month that I can't seem to find a replacement for living here in Thailand and that is watching the leaves change colors.  It is my favorite part of Autumn.  I love how the leaves go from green to yellow, red, orange and brown.  Some day I am going to travel to the East Coast and see the Autumn leaves from that side of the States, "they" say that the colors are magnificent. 

Lately I have been pondering change and how it affects one's life.  Change can be brought on by many ways: we can choose to put ourselves in the path of change, someone else decisions can cause a change in our life and then there is the unknown factor that can cause change.  I think that this year I have tried to change my life for the better by making choices that directly affect my attitude, lifestyle and how I deal with others.  Coca Cola decided that it would be better to close the Hong Kong office of ASEAN and more the executives to other parts of Asia and created a change in where we live, where John goes to school and it brought challenges and changes that I was not fully prepared to make.  The unknown factor that can create change in ones life is just that UNKNOWN - I would like to call it the Lords Will.  Example, a few years ago on Christmas day a large tsunami wave hit the coast of Thailand and devastated the beautiful west coast of the country and took many innocent lives.  Change affected many that day in many different ways.  Today the country has made changes in order to protect lives in the future and the coast has rebuilt itself. 

How do the changes in my life affect me?

I think I am a better person then I was let's say ten years ago.  I made decisions to change how I treated people.  By me deciding to not place my personal expectations on others made it easier not to have their decision effect my attitude.  I am much more content and happier.  I found that I have more patience with family, friends and just people in general. 

When someone decisions affect you directly or indirectly it can produce big changes.  Having moved from Seattle to Hong Kong last summer and then from Hong Kong to Thailand this summer due to a decision made by another the change was a major upset in my life.  When I first moved to Hong Kong I thought that I was going to be there 3-4 years so I jump into everything from school to church with both feet!  I was accepted and appreciate by those that I worked with,it was great.  Now it seems that I need to do that all  over again and I haven't yet found the courage to jump!  Change made me a little wary of jumping, I hope that I can again feel accepted and welcomed.  But, then again I might have to take that leap of faith before those feelings come and I feel a HOME.  Change is a great motivator.

The last reason for change is from the unknown, which I call "The Lord's Plan for Me" - this kind of change is never anticipated and sometimes never fully realized as a way in which to help you make changes in your life.  There have been times in my life that I have been angry at this kind of change, I want to yell and shake my fist as heaven and ask WHY.  The older I get the more I am appreciating this kind of change.  Looking back I can see so much growth in myself because change was thrust upon me.  If I stop asking why and start asking why not, the change process seems to be sweeter to my soul.  It is not easier but I am able to change without the anger and misplaced attitude eroding my soul.  

I friend helped me to see the beauty in change this past week...I was sharing my frustration over the changes that have been forced upon me lately and all the emotions that go with change.  I said that it feels like my emotions are scattered as dry leaves in the wind. (I was feeling poetic that day LOL)  To which the reply was..."Perhaps, it would be useful to look at it this way: the wind will carry and blow the leaves (your emotions) to the places (people) that need nourishment. The deteriorating leaves provide the elements that help foster growth. Not only do they provide the nourishment for other plants, but also nourishment for themselves. You are learning and growing, and that learning and growing will benefit yourself and others."  I had to stop and think about that answer and decided that I like it.  I just needed to get a grip on my emotions, quit whining and JUMP in with both feet. My life is good, the change has been good and I have grown and I hope that along my path of change I have help others.  

Change is a good thing.