Moving is always difficult. I think the worst part of moving is leaving behind those you have come to love, or being left behind by those you love. Saying ‘goodbye’ is typically riddled with tears (even if they never make themselves seen).

I really don’t like saying ‘goodbye’ to people. I have, however, found that the goodbye hurts less when I’ve spent large chunks of time invested in the relationships. That seems rather counterintuitive, doesn’t it?

I’ve moved quite a bit in my life and have become extremely adept at pulling away from people, either consciously or subconsciously, before I move. Some years ago, though, I decided to throw myself into my relationships, despite knowing I was only going to be with those people for a short period of time. Amazingly, it was so much easier to bid them farewell once it came time for me to leave than a goodbye had ever been.

Here’s my theory: I had no regrets. I didn’t regret being available to them. I didn’t regret the laughs we shared. I didn’t regret the prayers we prayed for each other.

It is my tendency to assume that my relationships will remain steady after a move or after I say ‘goodbye’. Sometimes this is true and my friends and I can pick up right where we left off, but more often than not the relationships change because I change and those I love change. Do you know what I’ve found?

Even amidst changes, moves, and goodbyes, my spirit can remain steady if my foundation is solid. When my heart and mind are saturated with the Word of God, rather than with my anxieties and emotions, change is not as difficult. A move, though stressful, is less stressful. Saying ‘goodbye’, though extremely difficult, is less difficult.

In His famous Sermon on the Mount, Jesus tells the parable of the two builders. One man built his house on the sand and one man built his house on the rock. When the rains came, the house on the sand fell, but the one on the rock remained.

What is similar for both houses? Both were pelted with rain, but the one whose foundation was secure was able to weather the storm. That’s not to say there may or may not have been damage to the house that remained (storms typically bring with them some damage!); however, the house still stood.

So even though changes in relationships may hurt, goodbyes, both temporary and permanent, may be difficult, and moving may be stressful, if my spirit is set firm upon the Rock of my salvation they are easier to weather.

The parable mentioned can be found in the Bible in Matthew 7:24-27 and Luke 6:47-49.

I always feel reinvigorated during November to be creative, and writing is a wonderful creative outlet for me:

I can write a story I want to read.

I can journal what God is saying through Scripture.

I can cry out to the Lord through poetry.

I can sort through what He is teaching me.

Yet, there have been seasons – long, long seasons – when I have wondered if I would ever be able to put pen to paper, fingers to keyboard, and write again. The creative well was dry. The well-oiled machine that is my imagination had come to a jarring halt.

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Then suddenly, or perhaps not so suddenly, ideas began to take shape again, the cogs in my mind started to move, and words formed into sentences.

One of the ways I have worked to combat the dry spells was to simply write. I didn’t care if it sounded good or bad or if it made sense – I just needed keep the habit of writing.

Below are some other ways I have applied grease to the cogs of my mind so the writing gears turn once more:

Listen to a movie score or a classical piece and let the music speak to my soul.

Read. Read about things that interest me, things that spark my imagination.

Take a walk outside and observe what nature is doing.

I have a love/hate relationship with social media.

I like connecting or reconnecting with friends and family, but sometimes it’s too easy for me to compare my life to another’s.

I like following authors, bloggers, pocasters, and vloggers, but sometimes there are so many updates I end up spending hours catching up with people I’ve never met instead of sitting with a friend or spending time in prayer for someone.

I like writing book reviews (and I like to blog!), but sometimes I worry too much about the opinions of those I don’t know.

I like seeing others’ ideas for baking, cooking, decorating, and sewing, but sometimes it’s too easy for me to become discouraged.

The following Bible verses have been ones I try to remember when I think about social media:

Colossians 3:2-3

Philippians 4:4-9

Psalm 46:10

I am so thankful for the poetry, theologically sound doctrine, and music that most hymns provide; they revitalize and invigorate my soul.

I enjoy the euphonious and mellifluous tunes which sink deeply into my spirit. Even if I don’t know the tune to a hymn, I still let the words speak to my heart and mind, for hymns remind me of who God is, rather than who I am.

Here are some of my favourite hymns:

“Great Is Thy Faithfulness” – words by Thomas O. Chisholm, music by William M. Runyan

“How Great Thou Art” – words and music by Stuart K. Hine

“It Is Well With My Soul” – words by Horatio G. Spafford, music by Philip P. Bliss

I have only recently come to truly enjoy the beauty God has created with the passing of the seasons.

In springtime, God gives us rain and the world is full of colours. This is a time of renewal, of hope.

In summertime, God gives us long days full of light. This is a time of possibilities and anticipation.

In autumn, God gives us an abundance of foods. This time of harvest brings families and friends together.

In wintertime, God gives us snow and the world is quiet. This time is a reminder that resting is required.

“While the earth remains,
Seedtime and harvest,
And cold and heat,
And summer and winter,
And day and night
Shall not cease.”

Genesis 8:22 New American Standard Bible (NASB)