Change You Can Believe In

Change happens so gradually we seldom notice it, but if we could take intermittent checkpoints in life, we’d see how dramatic it can be. Each day seems much like the last to me, but when I look back over at my 50+ years, the changes in the world have been shocking.

The houses of my youth were small and simple, lacking the “basics” – carpet, garages, dishwashers, fireplaces, central air - expected of the modern American starter home.

Cars are much more reliable now. I recall choking and cranking an engine to coax it to start, and letting it "warm up". Achieving 100,000 miles signaled the end of the car’s life. Now, cars are so reliable, their engine compartment is often sealed! Unforunately, when repairs are needed, they cost a fortune.


One mega-contract of a modern baseball player would have funded the entire institution of baseball of the 60s.

The technology which existed when I was a kid consisted of transistor radios, rotary-dial phones, and black-and-white TV sets (which pulled in 3-4 channels). The programming was squeaky clean.

Vacation usually meant visiting friends or relatives, or sometimes, camping (and always via car). I don’t recall venturing more than a few hundred miles from home. Now, I have about 2 million air miles logged, and usually visit one or the other coast every month or two.

If we suppose that change is more or less constant, it’s fascinating to think what type of world we’ll inhabit in the coming decades. One point of reference remains constant – God - He is “the same yesterday and today and forever”.