Priority Changes

As I was going through my "Esther" Bible study this morning, I came across this quote, "When our old priorities don't go with our new life, we either return to our old life or adopt new priorities." Wow, is that ever true! Beth then asked, "Have you discovered this dilemma for yourself?" Um, hello...that's been the story of my life the past couple of years!

Just the other day I was having a conversation with two of my teenage girls about my life in America versus my life in Botswana and how different the two are. Going through some of those differences with them reminded me how very, very different my life was up until two years ago, when I really began preparing to move to Botswana. And especially in the past year and a half that I've lived here.

For example, we talked about how in America most of us have much higher salaries than you can get around here, but how so many are in such huge debt. I know the cost of living is higher, but still, when you look at it all together, there really is no logical reason to have so much debt when we make so much money (compared to other parts of the world, especially.) I shudder to think about the money I spent back then on completely worthless things. I have since discovered that it is possible to live on way less and that it's not necessary to be stressed about money.

It's crazy for me to think about things I got worked up over while living in the States and little everyday things that I totally took for granted. I can't believe how much my life has changed! One of the other things we were discussing was how I lived alone for so long before moving here. I hadn't even had a roommate since college. Now I live with 30 teenage girls! If you'd asked me back then if I could do a job like this, I would have replied with, "No way!" It's such a testament to the change God can do in us, especially in order to walk out His will for us.

Another random example is how I used to totally despise any kind of bug, insect, creepy crawly, whatever. Now, these things are just a part of life! I peacefully share my living space with many little critters because I had to make the choice to spend lots of my time chasing and killing them or just learning to co-exist. (Now co-existing with snakes....still working on that one!)

I could go on and on about other changes and perspective changes, but really the point I'm getting at is that I agree wholeheartedly with Beth's statement. I think the way it applies to me now is that I have a choice. With those old things that used to be important to me, I can either see how some of them don't fit in my life now and let them go, or I can try to still try to hold on to them as priorities, resulting in me being discouraged and unhappy. I can resist perspective and priority changes or I can embrace them and allow God to shape and change me as He needs to.

This is all fascinating to me and causes me to wonder what kind of changes He still has in store for me. I mean if my life now looks so much different than I ever thought it would a couple of years ago, what will my life look like in another couple of years?? I pray for an open, flexible heart and attitude for whatever the Lord has planned. It can be scary or exciting, but I'm choosing to lean more to the exciting side!