September used to be the time when school started. I remember my school principal saying the school year was from the day after Labor Day until May 31. But this no longer is the case – my grandchildren began this school year the first week of August.

What do changes do to us? How do we adapt? I read in a church newsletter recently that a church member was celebrating her 100th birthday. The congregation and friends are invited to a party at the church. One comment in the invitation said, “Hear about all of the changes she has lived through.”

A lot has happened in the last 100 years – even in the last 50 years. My younger brother and I both graduated from Samford University in Birmingham. I did not touch a computer at any time during my student years. My brother, four years younger, used computers during undergraduate and graduate school. Think about all of the changes that have occurred in the world. Medical and technological advancements, political waves, changes in pop culture and fashion, workplace norms – the list goes on and on.

While participating in a staff planning retreat at a hospital where I once worked, I remember the consultant leading the retreat saying, “We used to do ten-year long-range plans. Now we do five-year long-range plans, and we know they will need to be revised every year.” We take out travel insurance, we make backup plans in anticipation of change. Sometimes, we become fearful or anxious. But how can we become more adaptable? Can we rest in the truth of knowing that God will lead us on the right path when we put our trust in Him?

In 1976, the year I graduated from seminary, I attended a conference for health care workers, social workers and chaplains. It was the first time I heard the term “geriatric.” The “expert” on aging told us that “they” did not consider someone “old” until 80. That was almost 50 years ago. Of course, today we know better than to refer to anyone as “old,” but we also know that 90 is the new 80. And as we age and experience the ebbs and flows of life, do we find ourselves more or less able to ride the tide?

There have been plenty of changes in my lifetime that I have resisted. I don’t use a food processor, because I prefer to cut and chop with my hands. But I did give in and buy a microwave. One of my brothers convinced me that the popcorn alone was reason enough to have a microwave. My style of clothing is traditional, which works well for me, since I don’t want to spend the money to change my wardrobe with each season. But I love being able to connect with friends and family all over the world with a handheld device called a cell phone, and I love the convenience of asking Google things like the name of the characters in Of Mice and Men.

I am very happy about advancements in most areas of life. I had some wonderfully dedicated teachers. My two sons had wonderful teachers, and they had a much better understanding of educational theory than my teachers had. Children are less likely to suffer from undiagnosed learning disabilities than they were when I went through school. Modern medicine is such a gift, and I’m happy to have been in the generation that received the polio vaccine on a sugar cube. I am thankful for seat belts and airbags in my car. I’m also the proud owner of a hybrid car.

When the school year starts and stops has changed. Football season is longer than it used to be. Women’s basketball is amazingly popular, and the athletes no longer wear skirts. Each generation witnesses change. Each older generation predictably complains about the younger generation. But life goes on. Through all of the changes, some good, some not so good, we keep going.

What does it mean to you to be adaptable to change? How can we adopt a mindset of flexibility? How can we meet our brothers and sisters in this world with acceptance for what changes they incorporate and what changes they resist?

Peace,

Cary