OMG Where is my churro cart?! Part I

Anyone who knows me knows I am a Disneyland fanatic! Yeah, fanatic, as in an over enthused extreme fan of this place crawling with kids, couples, crazy teenagers, and strollers! I will drive the 30+ miles roundtrip to Anaheim just to go to…oh yeah, the churro cart. But not any churro cart, this one is like thee best in all the lands of Disney I’m sure. It’s located right as you enter California Adventure, nestled in a small corner outside of a souvenir shop. Anyways, I will only get churros from this one cart. There is something special about em. I chalk it up to consistency. I mean anytime I go, morning, noon, or night I can count on that cart. The workers may change

but not the cart or my churros! Yes, there are several establishments closer to home that could provide this service, but my loyalty is at 1234 Churro Lane. Ok I made that up—I’m referring to the cozy corner my churro cart resides in.

One night we walk in as I gab about the churros with my D-Land compadres. I look to the left and my jaw drops. My honest first response? “Where the hell is my churro cart?!”

After I calmed down, this ordeal got me to thinking about life and things always being in constant flux. For change to be such a big part of life, it sure is difficult to handle at times. Most times we are begging God for newness and when it comes have the nerve to scream and panic as if an earthquake done hit the East Coast.

If you have been able to face change head on and have moved on in the fullness of it, then heeey hoooo go on with ya bad self…If not it’s ok, lets take my churro experience and look at a few points that I learned.  

Change marks beginnings and endings and can be viewed as positive or negative. It can bring joy, freedom, understanding, and excitement. On the other hand it can bring feelings of sorrow, grief, pain, confusion, instability, uncertainty, and straight up fear and doubt.
When we run into change that doesn’t mesh with our own desires, we get to asking question like:

• It seems so sudden, where was my warning, why didn’t God warn me?
  
• What do I do when everything I know is flipped upside down whether it was a choice I made or was forced to make?
  
• Where do I turn when everything consistent is…well…not consistent anymore?
  

Why didn’t God warn me?
What did I do when I noticed that cart was gone? I was upset! I even text friends to tell them the horrible news. Why was I so distraught? Because this wasn’t an ordinary cart! California Adventure has been undergoing renovations for about a year and in the last 2-3 months they’ve been doing some major damage, you know, the ‘pardon our dust we’re creating magic’ kind of madness. But that churro cart—it was always there. So it was devastating that in all the changes in my personal life right now, the one tangible thing I counted on was gone. (Lets not even begin to discuss how He wants to be the only one we depend on and will remove anything that we put in his place…smh. Save that for another post)

I can’t honestly say that this loss was without warning…I knew something about the relationship was changing. Two visits prior, the line was just too long I couldn’t do it and the lines never stopped me before. The last visit, the churro was kind of cold and honestly not that great.

See, I had subtle signs that things were changing including my attitude regarding the churros. I just chose to ignore them because they seemed insignificant at the time and I didn’t want to face the fact that it wasn’t offering me what I needed anymore.

Many times God is speaking to us attempting to give us warning before change occurs. Sometimes we catch them other times, we’re so wrapped up in things that aren’t Him, or wanting to have our way we totally miss them. When we are in the word more than on facebook he has greater opportunities to prepare us through His word. Is he leading you to scripture about...

Girding your mind (1Peter 1:13): Maybe an event that normally triggers a bout of depression or suicidal ideations will attempt to consume you to keep you from moving forward.

Seasons changing (Eccl. 3): Maybe life as you know it is about to change whether pleasant or uncomfortable.

His comfort in loss and ability to supply all your needs (Heb 13:5; Deut 31:6; Phil 4:19): Perhaps, He is prepping you for the loss of a loved one, job, or friendship and reminding you that He is more than able to supply every need.

His ability to heal by the blood (Is. 53:5): Although we don’t want to face sickness or our family members being ill (including mental illness) He wants to remind you that He can heal.

Reminders that He is unchanging and consistent (Heb 13:8): His true love for you is real and he was here yesterday and will be here today, tomorrow and forevermore.

Enlarging your territory (1Chro 4:9-10) : That your business may be expanding or that your prayer life, fasting, giving, integrity, humility, revelation will increase. 

Or even reminders of consequences for refusal to turn away from sin (Rom 6): Huh? Yea those words too!

Are you paying attention to your daily interactions? Did you find out something about them that hurt your feelings and ignored it? Do you notice that they talk about EVERYone else negatively? Did you notice that you just weren’t being fed the same anymore?

He’s speaking! So while we ask God why didn’t you warn me, it’s fair for Him to respond, why didn’t you listen? Why weren’t you seeking me and meditating on my word? I tried to show you, but you were busy worried about things of insignificance or playing off the words because they didn’t apply at the moment OR because you were too busy ascribing them to someone else…

My point, The Lord prepares us for change whether they come as a strong storm or a small wind shift. It is up to us if we want to take heed to the word before they hit. I just don’t believe that anything should be that much of a shock anymore. He fills us in, if we choose to listen.

So what do we do?....To be continued in Part II