I thought to myself that once I made it past Christmas Eve I would be able to get some things done. I’d finally have a little bit of breathing room to prepare for all of the change that is happening in the next week or so. 

As usual, my plans were merely a dream and everything changed. It was 6:30 a.m. when Karen’s phone went off and immediately we knew it wasn’t good. It was her mom telling her that Grandpa went into cardiac arrest. It was a hard call to take and even harder to hear my wife’s deep sighs come through her voice. Grandpa wasn’t just an ordinary man, he was the patriarch of the family, he was laughter, and he was joy. In a lot of ways I’d convinced myself that he was going outlive us all. Sadly, that would not be the case. Later that day (New Year’s Eve), George Koenig was called home to be with the Lord. It was sudden, but I suspect that if Grandpa could have drawn up such a plan, that is exactly how he would have wanted it. No hassle, no fuss. 

The days following his passing were full of meals, family time, and all the other work that had to be done. I think that was the hardest part for Karen and me: As a couple and as a family we knew that we couldn’t stop.  We knew that no matter what else we had to do some things had to keep moving forward. My sister got married, I preached a sermon, and then the following Monday we put Grandpa into his final resting place. All of this came in the midst of an impending move. 

The longer I live, the more I am learning that the only constant is change and that perhaps there are no planned seasons of rest.  The key to life is probably to rest a bit every day and enjoy the moment. 

The one thing that all of this brings back to me is how much I love my wife. Over the past two weeks, I’ve watched her deal with all of this and I still stand in amazement of all that she is able to grasp. 

I used to think that change was something that always meant uncertainty, but the more I reflect on the last couple of weeks I can say with great confidence that change in this case has only lead us to a place where we are more dependent on God and on each other.  Perhaps the true formula for a married couple is this:

If love is constant then change is certain.

What do you think?