When my husband and I went to a barbeque place recently, the big sign on the wall in one of the dining rooms caught my attention. It had hung behind the ordering counter many years before. Milkshakes – $0.25. Barbeque sandwich – $0.40. French fries – $0.30. Wow, times have changed! We’ve gone to this local hangout since we were teens. The food has remained the same through the years—but the prices sure are different.
And that started me thinking about other changes that I’ve seen in my lifetime. We no longer have gas station attendants to pump our gas, check our oil, and clean our windshields. Typewriters and carbon paper have been replaced by computers and printers. Those tin-foiled rabbit ears on our televisions have turned into satellite dishes, cable television, and Internet shows. And instead of three channels to watch, we have hundreds from which to choose.
Card files at the library have gone the way of my slim figure—never to be seen again. Now we look up our books on touch-screens. Rotary dialed telephones aren’t usually anchored to the wall now—replaced by cell phones—and pay phones are a rare sight. And the delight of owning a set of encyclopedias (at home even!) has been replaced by the world at our fingers on the Internet.
But there are negative changes as well. Many families have gone from spending evenings talking on the porch swing and playing ball with their kids to a rush-rush-rush lifestyle where we barely see each other, much less talk. Our babies grow up, become adults, and leave us—one of the saddest changes! And church attendance has declined, with some folks more interested in feeding their lawns than feeding their souls.
I could go on and on (and make myself feel even older), but let’s just say that some of the changes have been good, and there are some I’d give anything to go back to again. I’m a put-down-deep-roots kind of gal. I don’t like change, but that’s the way of life.
So I’m extra grateful for a God who never changes. Back in Bible days, He did miracles, gave comfort, provided whatever was needed, and gave wise counsel and directions for life.
And the great news is that He still does the same today. I’m so grateful for a never-changing God. How about you?
