Almost everyone has seen or heard of the cup final football matches at Wembley. Even if you don’t like football, you may have heard the singing which characterises the start of the big match. The songs always include the well-known hymn Abide With Me. The second verse includes the words
Swift to its close ebbs out life’s little day.
Earth’s joys grow dim, its glories pass away.
Change and decay in all around I see.
O Thou who changest not, abide with me.
If you have lived in Mazarrón district for the past 15 or so years, you will have seen many changes and probably a little bit of decay. Nothing seems to stand still for very long and now that longstanding institution of Upper/Spar has gone and Mercadona are moving to a new building quite soon. As we walk round the familiar supermarket it seems they can’t leave things in the same place from one week to the next. We look and search for our favourite pack of something or other and eventually find it has been moved to the most unexpected place. Why can’t they leave things alone? The Spar building already looks abandoned and uncared for and we have to hope that it won’t be too long before someone comes to give it some love and attention.
The hymnwriter closed the second verse with an answer to our question when he says O Thou who changest not, abide with me. In the midst of a changing world that is so full of uncertainty and doubt, there is one person that we can rely on as unchanging – Father God.
Another hymnwriter wrote these words in a more positive tone:
Great is Thy faithfulness
O God my Father
There is no shadow of turning with Thee
Thou changest not
Thy compassions they fail not
As Thou hast been
Thou forever will be
As we think of these two hymns together, we can see that despite the changes, besides the ‘gloom merchants’ and the ‘ne’er-do-wells’ there is one constant that we can look to:
God’s plan was laid down from the very beginning. God has always known about our situations; how they arose and how they will work out. From the very beginning God has had a plan for our lives and has always had a solution to our sinful nature.
We look around and see change and decay. We know that things left unattended will start to decay – just look at an abandoned farmhouse out in the campo. Over the years the walls crumble, the roof falls in and the building becomes not only uninhabitable but also an eyesore.
God looks around and sees His children in need of a Saviour and the One who never changes offers change to you and me.
Are you struggling with something at present?
Does it seem that there is no way out?
Does it look as though it can only get worse and become like the abandoned farmhouse – unrepairable?
The One who never changes wants to spread His arms of love around you and bring change into your life that will only be for good.
Wellspring wants to be part of spreading that love to all who seem to be in the midst of chaos. Why not join us one Sunday? We meet at Casasol in Puerto de Mazarrón – it’s just up the road from El Alcolar. You will be made most welcome and the God who changes not will be waiting to meet you and bring the change you need.
