Sudden Changes In Life: 5 Lessons From Passover

Many things can drastically and suddenly change our lives. With the economy, we all know people who were doing well (or at least okay) who lost their job and as a result their whole world changed. Another person's life may be changed when their spouse is injured in a car accident or diagnosed with cancer. And for another person, the change may be the result of relocating to a new town for the promise of a great new life. Whether the change comes in the form of a welcome or challenging motivator, facing the changed world can be hard and it is natural to wonder what the future will bring.  Some will experience this as depression while others will experience other emotions.

In looking at facing a changing world, two religious celebrations happening at his time can give us suggestions. Passover (Pesach) is the Jewish celebration that remembers when God delivered the people from slavery in Egypt leading taking them to begin a long journey through the wilderness. Good Friday is when Christians remember the crucifixion and death of Jesus which drastically changed the world for his disciples who had shared their Passover meal the night before. Both of these religious celebrations provide lessons of what we can do after our world suddenly changes and we are wondering if there will be a future and what it will be like.

1. Find a guide as you embark to the new. -- The guide may not be the person that the world points to but there are people we can look to to be our guides. The Israelites followed Moses out of Egypt because he could lead them even though he was a murderer who was a fallen adopted royal.
2. Know that the journey ahead may be long even if the change was swift. -- Swift change does not mean that the dust will quickly settle. The Israelites took forty years to make it to the Promised Land, the disciples would go through much fear and persecution before the church was established and stabilized. Being aware that finding the new future will take time prepares us for the journey.
3. Forgiveness and repentance can be important in the midst of change. -- As you look to a new future it is helpful to be able to leave behind problems from the past.
4. Stay close to those who feel safe and/or are a comfort. -- When facing sudden change, it is easy to forget about those we care about when in fact we need to remember them. Also, just as the disciples gathered together, so too you need to gather together with those who make you feel safe as you work out how you will react to your changing world.
5. Look for the spiritual side and the meaning in what you are going through. -- Ask yourself of where God is in the midst of the change and where you are being called to in the new world that is emerging.

Facing sudden changes in your world can be challenging. As you respond to these changes as described in these lessons you will find that there is a future that will emerge. This may take time but the new world can be fulfilling. Look to the example of the Israelites in the Passover or the early Christians on the first Good Friday. It is possible to find that new future as you use these lessons to help you find wholeness and peace.