Today's post is about changes.  I have tried to write this post several times.  I have left this for days because I am honestly not sure where to begin or how to end.  First, I think about changes that I have made over the last two years.  Two years ago I was helping my mother get to the store, library, bank, and other places she might need to go.  My mother is gone now.  I was diagnosed with cancer.  I went from taking no medication to over 80 pills a day.  My diet has dramatically changed.  I have made a major move to not only a new house, but also a new state.  Two more of my kids have left home.  There has been a major, but ever so slow change of homeschooling fewer kids, to the point that I am now down to one. Those are the major things that have happened, but just writing them down doesn't do justice to all the nuances those changes include.

Life is fluid.  It is always changing.  We never know when the next change will happen.  Someone has said to me more than once, "I can't imagine what I would do if I was diagnosed with cancer."  It occurred to me when I was mulling that question over in my mind that they would probably do exactly what they are doing now.  Daniel 6:10 says, "Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime."  I used to think about the fact that Daniel prayed even though he knew what the punishment would be for disobeying the king's orders, but now I think the purpose of the verse is not so much about that, although it is true that he must have thought about what would happen.  Now, I think the emphasis is more on the fact that Daniel continued doing what he had been doing before. 

It has been said many times that the trial doesn't cause you to behave in a certain way.  The trial just brings out what is already inside.  The threat of the lion's den didn't change Daniel's behavior because his heart's desire wasn't showing everyone how spiritual he was.  It was being close to God.  If Daniel was just merely performing an action to get someone to think he was super spiritual, then when the king made the decree, it would have been easy for Daniel to rationalize not praying for 30 days.  After all, 30 days isn't really that long.

Psalm 55:19 reads, "God shall hear, and afflict them, even he that abideth of old. Selah.  Because they have no changes, therefore they fear not God."  Perhaps the affliction of cancer in my life was God's way of getting me to fear Him.  Even if it wasn't, there is one thing I know, the change in my diet will remain if for no other reason than to remind me of the things God has taught me through this.  While it is true I still love eating all those "forbidden" foods, I also know the improvement I've seen in Vernon's health as a result of the diet change, and even though I didn't feel sick and wasn't on any daily medication I can only imagine the diet change has not hurt my health any.  As for my supplements, I will probably continue them for a few months.  While I am not taking nearly the 80 pills a day I was at one time, I have seen my bloodwork improve and there are some that have made a noticable difference in certain areas of my life, however I will probably taper them off over the next 6 months or so.

I am not sure if any of this makes sense, as I said, I've had a hard time making this post flow, but I hope someone can get something out of it.