Life Lessons on Two Wheels (Part Eight) "Change Is Inevitable...Embrace It"
If you've been following me for a while you know that I took up riding a motorcycle back in 2020.
It was a big change for me and Kathy as I'd never ridden a street bike before. I share more details here.
And now 4 years later, we decided it was time for a change. After some deliberation, we decided to buy a new(er) motorcycle. Our motivation was elevated by the fact that my son wants our current bike, so we began the search for our new ride.
I quickly settled on buying a Honda Goldwing 1800
I picked it up last week and have been out on it every day this week, practicing and getting use to the new bike. IT'S A BEAST!
I mean, it's twice the size of my other bike, it weighs over 900 pounds, it's big, fast and to be honest, it feels like I'm starting over again.
When we visited the seller to view the bike, he asked if I wanted to take it for a spin. I immediately said "No". In part because I didn't have any gear with me, but the truth is, I was nervous and intimidated and there was no way my first ride on it was going to be in front of anyone.
I bought it without driving it.
You might be asking, "Dan, why bother changing? What was wrong with the old bike?" Those are valid questions. The truth is, I love my Shadow 750, and it's much easier to ride for sure. It's also my first bike and we both love riding it together so it's sentimental for sure.
But consider this...
Life is about change!
The one constant about life is that it's always changing.
Where I live the leaves are changing...another reminder that change is inevitable. As Parker Palmer says, "We don't control the seasons, they happen to us."
We can't control the seasons and we can't avoid change. But a common refrain I hear is, that people don't like change. I think we should take a different view.
Healthy Things Change
It's true isn't it? God created the world to change, to be in motion...the seasons being one example. We are created in the same way. We should be changing. Change can be slow, tediously slow sometimes, but change is still happening. (The exception to this rule is grandkids...it seems every time I see them they have changed again...it's amazing)
But when I want to grow in patience, or love or whatever, change can be slow.
Not All Change Is Welcomed
Even if you agree with me that change is good, not all change is good. The loss of a loved one, a job loss or the breakdown of a relationship, is change we don't want. I get it. But even in that, we can grow and be changed if we allow tragic events the space to do their work in us.
Viktor Frankl refers to this as "Having a redemptive perspective on suffering" That's a topic all it's own.
And as we're on the topic, the basis of the Christian faith is change, isn't it? I have talked to individuals who like to focus on the love of God, but stop there. They don't want to consider that the Christian life is about change...I agree that God loves us, but that doesn't mean He approves of us. Ideas like transformation and sanctification are central to faith, aren't they In fact, I would argue, if they aren't, we make a mockery of the gospel. The good news just becomes, news.
"It is God’s will that you should be sanctified..." 1 Thess 4:3
This suggests that change is not only desirable but expected. In Galations 5 the writer Paul contrasts the old life with the new life...a complete shift from sexual immorality, debauchery, hatred, discord, rage and selfish ambition to love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness and faithfulness...that's a lot of change.
We Can Change
Maybe you've convinced yourself that you can't change. Or that nobody can change. I don't believe it. For all the reasons I've already mentioned. If you've convinced yourself that you can't change, then in essence you've stopped living. Because living things change.
Don't stop living! Keep changing!
Let me ask you a question...
Q. If there was one area of your life you'd like to see change, what would it be? Where will you start? Do you believe you can change?
I hope so. We are designed to change, and keep changing. My Goldwing is a change, and in the bigger picture, maybe not a significant one. But it serves as a reminder that...
Life is always changing.
We are designed to change, and
We should embrace change.
If you're feeling stuck, let's talk.