As a little girl, I saw the attic as a place of wonder and mystery. Underneath racks of old clothing, boxes of all sizes loomed in each nook and cranny. One day I dug a little deeper and discovered a black case tucked away in a corner. My curiosity piqued; I opened the latch. Inside was an old violin. When Mom came upstairs, I showed her my discovery, excitedly asking where it came from? Mom quietly closed the cover, put it back under the eaves, and said simply that she used to play it.

It was years before I learned the whole story. Mom had played that violin all through high school. With support from her older sister, she had plans to continue her study at a conservatory. Then unexpectedly, her father died. It was 1929; the Great Depression had begun. With the family breadwinner gone, all of the kids would need to find whatever jobs they could to support the family. Mom’s violin was packed away along with her dreams.  

Maybe you have dreams in the attic too – plans or hopes that never came to be, dreams that were left behind when life turned you in another direction. What do we do with these dreams? Do we cherish the memory or live with regret? Do we recognize wonderful new opportunities that arrived when the Lord led us on a new path?

Change is a part of existence; it’s experienced by everyone. The Bible tells us about Abraham, who was called out from his home by God. Abraham was settled and content. Yet when God called, he followed God’s instructions. As he set out on this new journey, his future was unknown, his destination still a mystery. The writer of the letter to the Hebrews states, “It was faith that made Abraham obey when God called him to go out to a country which God had promised to give him. He left his own country without knowing where he was going.” (Hebrews 11:8)

God may have plans ahead for you. He may call you to journey down a new path, to serve in a new way. You may leave some of your dreams in the attic, but you can be sure God goes with you on each new day. Why? God loves you. He loves you unconditionally.

Judy

Read Hebrews 11:1-8: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hebrews+11%3A1-8&version=NRSV