The Times They Are A Changin'

Joel just left our hotel room. We are meeting together at 8am to have breakfast before he and Shafali head back to the Chicago area for their Tuesday departure for England. It was one thing to send him off to Indiana from California. It is quite another to see the two of them head off to England for a year.
Maria is out of the ICU and is in a regular room. Her color has come back and, while still very tired, her personality has returned. She is supposed to get up and walk tomorrow. She will have a day before her family leaves. Her mom will be staying to see her through the healing period that will be 6-12 weeks.
Jonathan spent the night with Maria's brothers. They will be leaving to go back to California (they live in the San Diego area) on Sunday and he won't see them again until the wedding (whenever that will happen!). He starts back to work on Monday and has his first Seminary class on Tuesday.
Joanie and I still don't know when we will be leaving. We want to wait until Maria is out of the hospital and that should be the first of the week (if everything goes well). She will be out of work for at least 6 weeks. After that, light duty only for the next 6 weeks. She has some major adjustments to make both physically and mentally. We can't be here to help her through all of that but we hope to help her with the first steps out of the hospital before we go.
I have been squeezing in Ministries Council meetings this week along with everything else. The members of the MC have been a wonderful support. In the meetings there is a sense we all feel that we are moving toward a new direction and focus. There is a renewed sense of hope in the discussions.
All I really know is the old saying, "The only thing that is consent in this life is change". Everything in Jonathan and Maria's life and future has changed. Joel and Shafali are about to live in Europe for a year and experience monumental changes in culture and society. Joanie and I are about to head back to California changed by a summer sabbatical.
No matter who you are or what you do; no matter how much you want things to stay the same; no matter how settled you are - let me assure you of this: The times, they are a changin'! You can either enjoy change or fight a losing battle against it. The choice is ours. But the change, it is a comin'. Either get on board, get to the back of the line, or stand on the tracks. No matter what you do, count on this. The times, they are a changin'!