It feels like there’s a lot of change in my life right now. In the past year, I stepped away from an organisation I’d been part of for seven years. My church came under new leadership, and in the coming months, it will merge with a larger church, bringing a shift in structure and rhythm. At work, we’ve said goodbye to some key people, welcomed new faces, and adjusted to a new person in charge. And as for the future? Well, I’m not quite sure what that holds for me.
I think we all go through seasons like this. Change is inevitable as we and the people around us grow and evolve. It can be exciting or painful – sometimes a mixture of both! We celebrate the new, but we also grieve what we leave behind.
You might be wondering why I’m reflecting on this today. On my Lenten reflective walk, I spent time with Psalm 23, focusing on the theme of trust. It’s a psalm many people in my country know as the “Vicar of Dibley Psalm” (thanks to its use as the TV show’s theme tune). But today, I read it slowly, almost as if I’d never seen it before, letting each phrase settle in my heart. I held a question in the back of my mind: Where do I need to trust God as my shepherd right now?
A few answers came to mind, especially in relation to my loved ones. But as I lingered on the words, I was struck most by the constancy of God. Verse 4 stood out:
“Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”
I wouldn’t say the past year has been my darkest valley, but it hasn’t been an easy path either. As chapters have closed, I’ve had to adjust – to a new way of doing things, to stepping away from familiar spaces, to welcoming new people and letting go of old routines. And yet, through it all, my Shepherd has been there. A steady, comforting presence.
If I’m honest, I’ve sometimes taken that presence for granted. But reading the psalm today, I felt a gentle nudge from God:
“You can trust Me. I won’t change or leave. I’ve got you.”
So today, trust and gratitude have woven together in my heart. I’m so, so thankful for the unwavering presence of God, a presence I have always been able to, and will always be able to, trust.
What about you? Where in your life do you need to trust God as your shepherd right now?
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