some things never change!
Hey friends!
I spend a lot of time listening to children’s music. My “Spotify wrapped” this year consisted of the “Cars” soundtrack, “The Sound of Music” soundtrack, & the “Frozen 2” Soundtrack. As a nanny who spends my days with toddlers, this isn’t too surprising. I’ve heard many people talk about the little life lessons found in kid’s movies, and I’ve found the Frozen series to have a handful of sweet sentiments along with darling princesses, a snowman, and reindeer. I may be guilty of listening to the “Frozen” soundtrack on my solo car rides, not just car rides with children. It’s one of my faves.
So, a brief catchup in case you don’t spend your days watching children’s movies. Frozen 2 is a sequel of the original movie that tells the story of a princess on an adventure with a friend, a reindeer, and a snowman to save their winter, learn about loyalty and sisterhood, and a delightful & epic journey. Frozen 2 carries on through the princess, her friend, and her sister, the queen’s, journey through life along with their reindeer and snowman where they go through some self-discovery & a truly sweet love story. (What would a princess movie be without including a love story?!) Partway through the movie, one of the protagonists is falling in love with the friend who has been along for the adventures of both movies. There is a song & a series of scenes where they sing about the changing seasons around them, the friend is throwing around his fears & joys about proposing to the princess…aka the love of his life, & the princess is singing about her comfort & security in their present life circumstances along with the past, present, and future.
Wow, well isn’t that darling, & an awfully deep sentiment to a kid’s movie about ice kingdoms. Hmm. Anyway, I found the sentiments expressed in this song so accurate. Here’s a few paragraphs picked out from the song, “Some Things Never Change”:
“Yes, the wind blows a little bit colder
And we're all getting older
And the clouds are moving on with every autumn breeze
Peter Pumpkin just became fertilizer
And my leaf's a little sadder and wiser
That's why I rely on certain certainties
…
The winds are restless
Could that be why I'm hearing this call?
Is something coming?
I'm not sure I want things to change at all
These days are precious
Can't let them slip away
I can't freeze this moment
But I can still go out and seize this day
Some things never change
Turn around and the time has flown
Some things stay the same
Though the future remains unknown
May our good luck last
May our past be past
Time's moving fast, it's true
Some things never change
And I'm holding on tight to you”
It’s true – so much of time passing & life season changing holds ambivalence. Joy. Excitement. Growth. Fear. Loss. Wisdom. Sadness.
“That’s why I rely on certain certainties.” On a personal level, this feels so very relatable. It feels so easy to lean into the known and certain aspects of life. It comforting and familiar and doesn’t require the same level of risky drive & determination that new things in life hold.
We all have change constantly. In my life, this year holds some significant change for me. Currently, I’m engaged to the love of my life, while finishing a college degree and working as a nanny, living with friends, & trying to keep up with a social life & hobbies. I’m sure you have a lot on your plate too - & probably some change or challenge around the corner. Not every year holds weddings & graduations, but no matter your life circumstances, there’s always some change. New life, job changes, housing changes, relational or friend changes, inflation rates, construction & road changes around us, death, physical changes, change doesn’t end.
Even when we don’t want life to change, or cling to the “certain certainties”, or “hold on tight” to what is familiar, there are still things that slip out of our control. So, continuing to ride out this kid’s movie life lessons (haha); time always goes on, we can’t freeze our moments, and the future remains unknown. This song also felt particularly relatable as it came on a few weeks before I got engaged. There is some risk in the change and unknowns of each season. I found it particularly delightful and ironic that I was finding myself relating to this made-up princess who was wrestling with the thought of marrying the person she loved. The princess, Anna, was filled with fear and hesitation, not because she thought this next life season was wrong, but because it held unknowns that couldn’t be discovered without the trial & error of living them. But, it felt applicable to other life changes, not simply getting engaged or married. :)
What unknowns & uncertainties do you have? What are you doing about it? Are those unknowns stopping you from the decision that you’ve been putting off, or delaying something that you really are called to?
Do you know what Frozen 2 was missing? The absolute “certain certainty” (Okay, are your over that phrase yet? Haha thanks for sticking with me.) that we find in Christ! You may be like me, also wishing you had more knowledge & control, but there is so much that is out of our control. Thankfully, we can trust a faithful Savior with our security, as He is always in control. We can find peace that surpasses understanding and any unknowns. As someone who has battled anxiety & fear throughout life’s ups & downs, I get it. Fear is easy. Sitting in stress and fear, & wishing life didn’t happen to you is easy. It’s harder to get up & make decisions, work for change, do the hard or risky thing. (Or “the next right thing,” according to this kid’s movie if you needed a spoiler for how Anna carries on with her life.) Good things don’t tend to simply happen upon us while we wait & wander & watch the world drift by.
Last year, I was in a conversation with a dear friend & expressed my deep desire for more wisdom & knowledge in my next imminent decision, & my fears for the unknowns of how it would play out in the future. One of the responses to that desperate desire for more knowledge or guidance through my decision was to just keep going a little bit a little bit a little bit. At first I thought that was a strange & lacking thing to say. But after listening a little longer, I started to understand what this friend was saying. This wiser friend encouraged me to just keep going one step at a time with the current discernment & knowledge that I had now. Later, a year or two or ten years from now, that discernment & knowledge will hopefully have deepened. But for now, we are called to move forward in trust & surrender. If we let fear or uncertainty be our driving factor, we would not be placing our faith in Christ. I find hope knowing that when I am abiding in the Lord, He may produce fruit in our lives, & we can look forward to more growth & learning.
Though sitting in familiarity is easier, it typically isn’t better. Seeking the Lord’s will, stewarding the things & relationships He has gifted us with, and doing our best to serve Him with a wholehearted effort is much more honorable, & much more joyful!
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.”
Proverbs 3: 5-6
“My child, don’t lose sight of common sense and discernment. Hang on to them, for they will refresh your soul. They are like jewels on a necklace. They keep you safe on your way, and your feet will not stumble. You can go to bed without fear; you will lie down and sleep soundly. You need not be afraid of sudden disaster or the destruction that comes upon the wicked, for the Lord is your security. Her will keep your foot from being caught in a trap.”
Proverbs 3: 21-26
Thanks for reading, friends! Bye!!