I think life has a way of sneaking up on us. One minute we’re here, doing that, and the next minute we’re there, doing this. And we wonder how it happened.

I’m growing lettuce in a small hydroponic system. Every morning, I notice more growth and wonder, how did I miss it? Would I see a smidgen of movement—a tiny stretching up towards the grow light—if I sat in front of the lettuce for 24 hours, never taking my eyes off the hydroponics? Maybe my eyes aren’t able to see something so subtle. It’s too imperceptible. Yet, before I know it, these little shoots will be ready for my table.

It seems it’s the same imperceptibility that drives our lives. It’s impossible to remain stagnant. Even if I never moved, changes would occur in my body. Mostly atrophy. Instead, I move about, interact with others, become involved in activities or organizations that make my life richer or poorer.

Most of us resist change. The familiar is so comfortable, and as we age, we see that comfort as our reward for a life of hard work. Ah, retirement! Yet, I believe change is not only imperceptible but also inevitable.

If you examine the tree limbs, you’ll see some taking on an orange/reddish tint. Only a week or so before, all the leaves were green. I call it the kiss of death (temporary to be sure, because Spring is as inevitable as Fall). The trees are “kissed” and soon reds and golds, and every shade between, will awe us and we’ll turn into “leafers.”

If Nature’s changes are inevitable and imperceptible, it seems changes in our lives, our fortunes, are the same. We’re part of nature, and the only way I can cope with these minute changes is by trusting in the Creator. I don’t fear change if I’m going in the direction that’s within his sovereign will. Otherwise, change may lead to my destruction, rather than the glory he has planned for me.

How is your life different from the way it was a year ago?