I’m not a person who dislikes change. In fact, I seem genetically predisposed to shaking up my life in some fashion about every five years. (Watch out this year everybody!)

But I’ll admit that, like most people, I’m always more comfortable with change I choose than with change forced upon me from the outside. And lately it seems like there is a lot of that going on.

Sometimes it’s the little things. I don’t how it looks from the front porch of your house, but at ours there is a definite shortage of hummingbirds! It seems that every year like clockwork they show up, looking for food. And we had our first couple, right on schedule. But within about a month, we have dozens of the tiny beauties sucking up that nectar about as fast as we can make it! This year we’ve got our two, but no more. Is this true around Amissville? Is this the case around Rappahannock County? If so, what could be causing this? And, most importantly, how do we fix this? I like it just fine the way it worked in the past!

Sometimes it’s more personal. It seems every so often I am inundated with news of friends divorcing. And it once again seems to be that season. I’m not self-centered enough to think any of this is really about me. Change is being thrust upon the family involved, not me. But the truth is there is a ripple of change that goes out from a family that’s breaking apart. It affects many of the people who love them. And there’s a great sadness for a lot of us as we watch and try as best we can to help them through this change.

And then there’s the change in our communities. If you look at surrounding counties you can’t really say that Rappahannock County is experiencing unprecedented growth! And thank goodness for that! And, yet, in my little corner of Amissville it feels like new houses are going up right and left. I’m not saying that they won’t be perfectly nice houses. I’m not saying that the people who eventually move into them won’t be wonderful neighbors. But the truth is that change is being forced upon me again and I’m not pleased about that!

Of course, the biggest change of all, for many of us is the prospect of Dominion’s expanded power lines. As I drive through this gorgeous countryside I begin to imagine what it will look like if Dominion wins this fight. And I’m saddened by what seems like more awful change being forced on a lot of people in these parts.

But there’s plenty of good change around as well! There are new babies, new marriages, new jobs and new homes. There are new neighbors in our communities. And nature is constantly forcing change on all of us. But I never seem to mind when spring gives way to summer. While the storms this year have taken down some old pine trees, I see new seedlings everywhere I look. Some of them will eventually be huge trees. I think this week I’ll look to nature for some lessons on gratefully accepting the changes around me!

I still like the serenity prayer that Al-Anon uses. God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference. Here’s to a wise week for all of us!