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 How many times have we heard it? Life is change. Most of us are old enough now that we have endured, maybe even thrived, under numerous changes big and small. Life in these not-so-united states right now is so full of change and its often accompanying chaos that it's hard to know how to "pivot" anymore. So, perhaps, it's time for a "back to basics" moment.

Let's set the rest of the world aside for a moment and just consider where we are at as a congregation. I posted the picture above because it spoke to me of where we are and where we're headed. Some of you have been around long enough to remember when that addition (to the left of the pillars) was built. It's been interesting to hear some of those people comment that it feels like the remodel is putting some things back the way they were before! For many of us, this feels foreign but for others it is feeling like a return of a comfortable past.

I can only post one picture with this blog or I would have shown you the one with the carpet and tile samples, as well. The tile will be a close match to the red ones that once led into the sanctuary (and are now covered with carpet glue) and the carpet is a gradient shade of blue and gray that remind me of the mist hanging in the mountains as one crosses Snoqualmie Pass. The carpet will be installed in the Fireside Room area while the tile will grace the entryway from door to sanctuary. The walls you see being erected will hug a comfortable "lounge" area that can be used as a cry room on Sundays from which parents can still watch the service on a mounted TV screen to a gathering spot before meetings or activities. A semi-permanent movable wall at the back partition will make it possible to hold Bible studies or coffee hours in the Fireside Room with some sense of privacy. 

It can be hard to look at these things and see the possibilities that lie ahead rather than the things we remember and cherish from the past. But life is transitory. You know this. You've lived it in so many ways in the past and we are all dealing with new expectations and new ways of doing things in these COVID-laced years. I was going to start this sentence with "It feels like..." but I think it's true to say that everything IS more difficult than it used to be. We're accustomed to finding and getting whatever we want or need with little hindrance. Now we have to wait forever in lines because businesses are short-staffed. Sometimes we can't even find what we need, I mean, who ever imagined you'd have to have the perfect timing to get your cat food from Walmart? Old habits and routines have been seemingly permanently interrupted as new routines have replaced them and you realize, all of a sudden, that there are people you love whom you haven't seen in years and they just live across town. Things are more expensive, places are harder to get to, and in everything there is a little extra anxiety than there was before. It feels like every day has a bit of that "waiting for the other shoe to drop" factor.

What is a person to do in a world that seems to be constantly shifting under our feet? Isaiah 40:8 tells us: "The grass withers, the flower fades; but the word of our God will stand forever." I believe we can extrapolate that directly to our current situation, whether as a congregation or as individuals in the world. We accept that life's "constancy is like the flower of the field." And we trust that God's word of faithfulness and love in all circumstances is sure.

I think the closest image I can think of at the moment of God's constancy are those misty mountains. We know they are not permanent, either, but they're not likely to change much in our lifetimes so they feel about as permanent as things get in this world. And yet, often they are obscured by cloud or mist. Think of that as our changing circumstances, sweeping across the face of our lives. Sometimes, they might completely blot out our view of that which stands "forever." Sometimes it seems we're more likely to only see the "clouds" and seldom the solid ground that forms our foundation. For example, west siders have a saying that "the mountain is out today" because it's unobstructed view is an event and local tourist information says that visitors to Denali have a 1 in 3 chance of actually seeing the mountain on any given day.

Life is transitory, misty. And while it's swirling challenges and misty veil can often hide the truth, the truth remains: God is present. God loves you. God is working in our circumstances to bring good things to and through us.

When you feel a tug of grief about the past, when you are tempted to be anxious about the future, when today just seems too hard to manage...remember this basic fact of our faith: God is for you. You are not alone. The future is in God's hands and God is good.