The Promise to Change

I am doing some required reading for our church leadership team. We are reading Bruce Sanguin's book The Emerging Church. It talks about making a "Compact for Change". Meanwhile, in my own reading, I'm reading the book from the library by Ariane de Bonvois who is founder of first30days.com and has the same title, The First 30 Days: Your Guide to Any Change.

Here is the promise that Ariane made with herself--and urges us to make with ourselves--as we all attempt to undergo changes whether they be forced upon us or whether they are things we know we need to change about ourselves but are not sure we have the personal strength to make these changes.

The Promise to Change

Please promise yourself
No matter who or what you will become
No matter how unpredictable life is
No matter the growth you will experience
No matter the lonliness, pain, and sadness that will arise
No matter the fear, the questions, the disbelief
No matter the doubts, the resistance, and the impatience
No matter the surprises, the joy, and the pain
Always take change by the hand and welcome it
For
Change will bring strength
Change will bring faith
Change will bring new possibilities, new people, new paths
Change will bring self-esteem
Change will bring you what you are ultimately looking for
Always change
In change you will awaken
In change you will become wise
And in change you will finally be in partnership with life.