My mother was born in 1914, just after the beginning of WW I, the second of 6 children. Daily living during that period of history was often supported through manual labor. Travel was by horse-drawn transportation or walking. It was a time of life in America when children got up, ate breakfast and went to school where much of their education was accomplished through military style discipline.

Children who lived in a town might play together after school yet children generally were expected to participate in the care of the home. Since my mom grew up on a farm, much of her time after school was taken up with milking, feeding the farm animals, gathering eggs, weeding the garden, learning to sew and cook for the family as well as caring for her younger siblings.

Since she lived till she was 97, she occasionally expressed surprise at the changes that had taken place since she was young. In her childhood years, there was no internet or television. Radio was developing but it wasn’t till the early 1930s that many households actually had a radio of their own. Books sometimes had to be shared since they were not as plentiful as they are today. Some forms of newspapers had been around since the Roman Empire when information was carved into stone and mounted in a prominent location for all to see. Yet, even in her day, news didn’t travel as fast as it does today.

She often spoke with amazement that when I lived in Germany, I could send an email to my brother and wife who lived in Minnesota, which they likely received in a matter of seconds. Yes, life changed dramatically in her 97 years.

Actually, life has changed a lot since her passing in February of 2012, which is a mere 13 years. Change seems to be a constant as our knowledge continues to grow and develop more sophistication.

Science fiction stories offer us glimpses of what might be in the future. If you are familiar with the Jetsons cartoon from the early 1960s, much of what was portrayed then, has actually come to be in some form, such as video calls, smart watches and robotic vacuum cleaners. How will the next 13-97 years look? It is mind boggling for us to consider.

With all these changes, where can we find our stability and constancy? Of course, it is found in God. For we have these promises. “I am the Lord, I change not,” (Malachi 3:6 KJV). “Jesus Christ is the same, yesterday, today and forever,” (Hebrews 13:8 NIV). “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows,” (James 1:17 NIV).

The price Jesus paid by dying for us will never change. His promise to never leave us or forsake us will never change. His promises of love and offer of salvation will never change. The promises that He is the God who sees, heals, listens and protects will never change. The promise that He is preparing a place for us will never change. The promise of His return will never change.

By the way, we will experience incredible changes in heaven. Heaven is a place of perfect peace and health, with no sin or sickness. Therefore, we will have no need for lawyers, doctors, dentists, police officers, security guards, investigators, surgeons, IT support, pharmacists, clerks, undertakers (!!), ambulance drivers, soldiers, prison guards, optometrists, life guards, insurance sales, eye drops, vitamins, fitness programs and beauty operators or mechanics … just to name a few. Knowing this, offers us a perfect invitation to switch from trusting our ever changing, imperfect hearts today to trusting our unchanging, perfect God for eternity.