Embracing Change
by Daniel Saechang
I started attending Evergreen SGV the first day we hived and started worshipping at Rio Hondo when I was in 2nd grade. The Lord revealed Himself to me over the years and I decided to surrender my life to Him in High School. By His grace I was called into Full-Time Ministry and have been faithfully serving the past eight years at Sila Church as the English Ministry Pastor. God has graced me with the immense honor and privilege to preach, mentor, and shepherd His people over the years and has grown my heart for His Kingdom.
When the Lord called me back to Evergreen SGV it was exciting and at the same time quite frightening. When God calls His people to obedience, it often requires much faith. Often times, God calls us into the unknown, into the unseen. The Bible teaches that we must walk by faith, and not by sight and unfortunately I don’t have much sight to begin with or much faith that the Bible speaks of. But God gives so much grace.
Coming back to Evergreen SGV has been filled with tremendous joys and painful challenges. As I walk around the church campus I am reminded of such fond memories growing up at Evergreen SGV as a kid. I remember the first day we hived and moved to Rio Hondo. No one knew where to park and you had to have this green parking pass that our family would constantly lose. There were memories of making the long trek up Rio Hondo to Sunday School. I remember counting the days to attend youth group in Suite C at the church office across the street from Golfland. I also remember the day we moved into the property we are at now and how exciting it was for us to finally have a physical home. God is good. God provides.
However coming back to Evergreen SGV I realize that things are so different now and the memories I had are like fading memoirs. It’s been —— different. And —— that’s okay. And that’s really the lesson God has been teaching me in this season. Change is okay. Sometimes change may not necessarily be what I want. It may not necessarily be what I envisioned or had hoped for. But when change comes from the Lord then it needs to be embraced. When we trust in our Good Shepherd, we must trust that He will lead us to green pastures and still waters. He knows what He is doing and His timing is always perfect. Sometimes God will lead us through valleys and challenges to get to the green pastures. Sometimes the journey gets dark, confusing, and can even feel lonely. However it is through these seasons we must remember that God is with us and He is for us. He has not abandoned us nor will he ever. Thank you Lord!
Dealing with change has been painful. The yearning of comfort, familiarity, and memories of past can hinder our embrace of God’s plan for tomorrow. And as I transition into a church that is going through so much transition, I feel like I have a unique opportunity to encourage the church family. So I encourage you with two words. To Trust and to Pray. Trust that our Chief Shepherd is Good. Trust that God has good plans. Trust that God is in control. In order to truly trust God we must know God and know God’s heart. Therefore I encourage you to pray. To seek the heart of God in the midst of transition and to know that our Good Shepherd is with us wherever we go.