“Fall Reminds us that Change is Beautiful.”

I love this quote about change. Not just because Fall is my favorite season, but because change is hard. With two little kids, I feel like we’re on constant cycles of change. As soon as we’ve got one thing figured out, another problem presents itself. Whether it’s discipline, sleep schedules, or eating habits, the cycle is constant and it is hard.

But isn’t Change the Point?

When I think of the Gospels, I realize Jesus didn’t have much consistency in His life beyond…change. For three years, He grew His ministry and worked toward transforming the world. He made friends and enemies; He surrendered His life to service. Jesus never spent long in one place before He had to move to another town. But it was all done for the purpose of modifying not just His life, but everyone around Him.

When we exercise, we strain our muscles. Getting stronger means accepting distress and letting ourselves become better. The same is true of our lives. We need distress and adjustment to get stronger, to become better. The only true constant when we want to improve, is a growth-mindset.

Watching my children grow up has made this process much less intimidating, even if it’s still hard. It’s easy to see now, outside looking in, that change is so beautiful. My little boy is learning to help and share and love. Our daughter is starting to walk. Every day it’s something new, but it’s all beautiful. Because my children are growing, becoming better, changing.

Adults seems to think we need to grow to a certain point and stop. We think it’s not good to focus on new skills instead of becoming complacent with current ones. But little children know the truth. Change is beautiful, and it’s what we’re made for. Changing ourselves is how we change the world.