Change

 For as long as I can remember, I have lived on Knotty Branch Road. Even before it was Knotty Branch Road. The United States Postal service changed my address three times on Route 2 before Knotty Branch got its name for some almost always invisible flowing body of water, supossedly behind my property. Now after forty years, you get used to things. You come to depend on them. Like the old house I grew up in. Or the forty foot plus magnolia tree that was in the front yard.

 My great grandfather built this home. It managed to survive four generations, four familys, Hurricanes Hazel and Hugo, and two close calls with tornadoes, despite the fact it wasn't engineered or inspected. But it was a cold house. So cold, the commode froze occasionally. Sometimes, we would all sleep on den floor by the gas heater. I could go on. Funny, I couldn't wait to get out of it but miss it so much now. But the yard was my stage. The magnolia tree was my favorite toy. Split in half, at the expense of my father's butt, had created the tree's huge twin trunks. I can almost smell the lemony aroma from the blossoms from the screen porch. It takes me back thirty four years, when a little boy will force himself to overcome his fear of heights by climbing to the top of that tree. Underneath, a brother and sister will bury treasure, in the form of a Snoppy piggy bank. That til this day, has yet to be discovered.  Magnolia cones make the best make-believe grenades, by the way. We barely scratched the surface of what all the leaves could be used for. Landmarks for 75 years or longer, the house and tree greeted me like two old familar souls until two weeks ago. Now, all that remain are the memories. They aren't all good memories, but some are wonderful. Watching the destruction of your original home is emotional.
 Like most of my emotional experiences, God shows up with His little lesson plans. This time, I was ready for Him. I was drawing the obvious parallels. "Material possessions are temporary. I know, Lord. Nothing here last forever. I know, Lord, you never know what you got till Yada, yada, yada.( NEVER yada,yada,yada Yahweh). "
 A week goes by, I still can't hardly recognize the road leading to my home.  Pondering how things will never be the same always exhaustes me. Then it hit me. I can't recognize my county, or my country anymore. Everything changes.  So this morning, in the spirit of change, (really to just avoid it) I decided to look down Knotty Branch the other direction, opposite of my old home. Just as I did, a  bald eagle landed in my yard! It's a rare sight. My first, and I could have missed it doing the same old thing.' It reminded me of Isaiah 41:10
"but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint."" By the way Clint, this is not and was not your home. And the only thing you should come to depend on is me." God always has the last word.
Change is inevitable, but I don't have to like it. Our God, however, never changes. Constantly, leading us. Constantly asking us to wait on Him, while he changes, us.