Tip of My Iceberg

I’d been looking forward to a change of venue for weeks before arriving in Colorado. I’m the kind of person that gets a little fidgety when I’ve been in a routine for awhile.

It has nothing to do with the routine itself. My normal is something I enjoy. I have the privilege of interacting with some of the most amazing people ever, and it’s a job I love.

I happen to enjoy change, and if it’s not happening naturally, there are times when I’ll change things up a bit. Just for interest. And fun.

Arriving in Colorado was a breath of fresh air. Literally fresh air. Low humidity. Temperatures a little cooler. Especially at night. I drive around in wonder at the lush green of the rolling hills. The lack of cosmopolitan clutter. You don’t need to drive too far from downtown Ft. Collins to be away from city noise and people chatter.

Huge change. Our permanent address is Mickeyville, not all that far from Universal Studios. Spitting distance from Sea World. Orlando is a mecca for tourists looking for theme parks and a way to spend large sums of money quickly.

It’s been different here. Less complicated. I’ve been grateful for less structure. Living in an apartment packed to the gills with family, we don’t have a lot of space. Especially since we love having people over for really significant reasons–Women’s World Cup games or the NBA Finals. Meals aren’t as structured. Bedtimes are a bit erratic. Lots of conversation.

It didn’t take me long, however, to realize that I’d been looking for really big changes. Not having to plan meals. Go grocery shopping. Do laundry. Dishes. The mundane things of life that typically get done because I’ve had a plan in place. And I’ve been good about responsibly carrying out those necessary activities.

Part of it also had to do with wanting to be a little more shallow with people. A little less engaged. Not so intense.

I guess all I wanted was to be irresponsible. Just for a little while.

So very adult of me.

I was brought up short by a response Jesus had to the change He made in coming to earth from heaven to take on the form of a Man. To tell us about God in a way we could understand.

“Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of Himself. He had equal status with God but didn’t think so much of Himself that He had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what.”              Philippians 2:5-7a

Jesus humbled Himself by taking on the finite form of man. By choosing not to take advantage of His position of deity.

I’m supposed to think like that. Unselfishly. Other-focused. Not always thinking of what I deserve or want but what others need.

Dad gum. There goes my season of irresponsibility.

How I choose to live affects others. Not just me. Taking time, making the effort to care, matters.

Change isn’t about abdicating responsibility. It’s choosing responsibly to make changes that matter.

It’s called growing up.