Change

That caution sign for change has been displayed in my head for a good month now.  You see, after lots of conversations and lots of prayer, Matt accepted a new position within his company and with this position comes a shift change.  My sweet hubby will now be working 4 nights a week.  Yes, I said NIGHTS.  From 8:30p-7:00a, he will be keeping the bank's phone systems afloat.  And, yes, I also said 4.  He will only have to work Monday through Thursday.

Of course, with this position comes not only a shift change, but some life change, too!  Did I mention that change and I are not good friends??  Change makes me anxious and fretful.  As soon as I hear about change, I begin the "what if?" and the "how will we?" questions.  I long for routine and sameness.  I like predictability and planning.  Is it any wonder I thrived as a teacher of children with autism?!?

So, yesterday, with the help of my wonderful interior designer Mama and my wonderful child care provider Daddy, and my absolutely amazing hubby, we tackled the furniture move.  Matt has always worked from home and for the past year or so, his office was in our bedroom.  With the shift change, that was no longer going to work.  After much thought, we made the decision make the toy room (which is actually a sunroom) into an office/toy room.  That decision required the rearranging and redistribution of some toys to make space for an office, which is turn required some rearranging of the little boys' room to make space for more toys.  Of course, removing Matt's office from our bedroom required some rearranging in that room as well.  I guess you could say, there was much rearranging done at our home yesterday and lots of change.

Matt's new position started last night, so at 8:30 he headed off into his office and I sat on the couch having complete control of the TV channels and complete control of the laptop.  And, feeling a bit lonely, even though Matt was only 10 feet away in the "office." I made it even harder when I chose to dwell on his absence.  Quality time is my love language, friends.  But, as I sat there I began to think of the three-day weekends we will now share.  I thought of the extra time he'll have with the whole family in the afternoons.  I thought of our date night already scheduled and planned for this Friday night.  And, I began to change my thinking.  I chose to settle in and try to find my new normal nighttime routine.  Certainly, I still felt the change.

I heard someone once say, "Just because everything's different, doesn't mean that anything has changed."  I like that.  The furniture is different.  Matt's schedule is different.  Our routine is different.  But nothing has changed.  The big things--the things that matter--haven't changed.  We are still family.  We are even more committed to one another.  God is still in control.  He's still faithful.  So, this time, I'm facing this head on, taking comfort in the fact that although things are different, nothing has changed.

"For you are my rock and my fortress; therefore for Your name's sake, lead me and guide me."  Psalm 31:3