Learning to Adapt
There is a commercial on tv about a couple seeing their college bound son, heading into the future, no tears, but pure blissful joy as he leaves. They turn the son’s bedroom into a room with a spa and the parents are enjoying the empty nest time together, possibly sipping wine, smiles displayed on their relaxed faces. The son comes home and sees what they have done to his past, his bedroom, his own bedroom, and the parents have no regrets. It is kind of funny, but yet it is not.
I think one of the hardest things to go through is when the kids leave. But in our case it was different. My husband and I were leaving! On a journey with our RV that we have been planning for a few years. It seemed so far off when we first started planning this new lifestyle of traveling, seeking new adventures and rekindling our relationship. But it was not like that.
I had to learn to adapt.
Adapt to changes I did not expect and sometimes did not want.
To adapt is to accept change, or to learn to accept change. Growing up, we adapted going to school for the first time, meeting new friends, enduring the challenges of being a teen, going from school to work or college, meaningful relationships, hoping we would find the one we might marry and have a worthy career. Whew! We adapted. Sometimes it is hard and sometimes it is not hard.
But I also believe that what challenges us makes us grow. I do not think God wants us to remain the same forever. I mean, how boring would that be? Learning to adapt takes courage, a good dose of patience and a positive attitude that says, “I think I can.” Yes, you can adapt!
I had to adapt not only to the empty nest, but also selling everything to start this new RV lifestyle. I had to adapt to not bringing everything in my house into my trailer as it would not fit. Can you imagine putting things from a 1800 square foot house into something that is less than 500 square feet??? I had to adapt learning how to live with my husband as a couple once again without kids. That…was…hard.
I had to adapt to the many changes that the RV lifestyle offers without question. I spent many tears, questioning why we wanted to do this type of lifestyle, when it was so much easier owning a house and working to pay the debt, rather than living free from debt and traveling when we could. Does not make sense, huh?
If I can adapt, so can you. I have confidence you CAN! You might question, get upset, question some more why things have to change and now you have to adapt to something new.
God never said life was a bowl of cherries. I think Erma Bombeck said that and said it well.
But I want you to think of it this way: how exciting the plans God has for you, plans that could put you in places you never thought you would go, things you never thought you would do, things you never thought you would see.
Only because you chose to adapt.
Share with us something you adapted to recently and how it went!