Phases of Life

“Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.” Proverbs 19:21 (NIV) I got a letter in the mail after my 64th birthday saying I was eligible to apply for my Seniors Pension. It reminded me that there was a big change coming when I turned 65! We had a good chuckle when I told my friends that I was becoming an Elder! It got me thinking about the phases of life. I thought about my grandchildren, and how my youngest granddaughter was going from Grade 1 to Grade 2. And then my grandson, going from Grade 4 to Grade 5. Our oldest granddaughter will be graduating from high school this year. Every one of them is coming into a new phase in his or her life, too. Life is like that. Change is a constant that we need to learn to work with. Everything from coming of age to high school graduations, marriages, job changes, deaths, divorces, empty nests, or eligibility for Seniors Pension. All major changes usher in new phases of life. Most people don’t like change and won’t adapt readily to it. Even when the change means a better situation, adjustment is still hard, and many will resist the new life phase. I guess that’s the way most of us look at things. At times we have some control in designing those changes, but many just happen. For the times when we actually have a say in blueprinting our new life phase, it’s important that we let God guide and direct our life’s direction. His ways are so much better than anything we could come up with on our own. Okay, getting back to my pension application, what is it going to mean for me? It’s just another phase of life that I’ll follow Jesus in. Thank you, Jesus, for Your wisdom and direction throughout all the phases in my life. You’ve been faithful in all I’ve gone through. Amen! — Milly Jackson   Council Fire is a collaboration with Intertribal Life Ministries and Native Evangelical Fellowship of Canada. The Council Fire Daily Devotional Book Set is available on the Intertribal Life Ministries website. Learn more about Council Fire at councilfire365.org