Unchanging

Olivia stretched out under her favorite eucalyptus tree and gazed in wonder at the koala above her. This was the best time of the day, when the skies darkened and some of the nocturnal koalas finally woke up to snack on the tree leaves. Olivia had named this koala Kiki. "I could watch you all night, Kiki--if you stayed awake for that long." Olivia giggled softly at her joke, aware that koalas slept for up to eighteen hours each day. "God," Olivia prayed, "it seems like Kiki never changes. She sleeps all day and wakes up to chew on eucalyptus leaves, then falls asleep again so she can digest them. I wish my life could be that simple and unchanging." Olivia's prayer was interrupted by her older brother Levi plopping down beside her. "Hi, sis. How are you holding up?"Olivia sighed. "I just don't want everything to change. Why do Grandpa and Grandma have to leave Australia?" Olivia's lip trembled."They said God was calling them to America--their new mission field. We've been lucky to have them right down the road our entire lives. I'm sorry, Liv. I know change is hard.""I hate change," Olivia muttered. "I wish my life could be like Kiki's sometimes." Levi tugged on his sister's ponytail. "That would be a pretty boring life though, don't you think?" Olivia shrugged. "Remember this, Liv--everything around us may change, but God never does. God was here before He created the world, and He will remain when this world fades away." "When we were little, we learned a verse that says God does not change," Olivia said. "'Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.' No matter what happens, Jesus stays with us, and He never changes." "Some of us are still pretty little," Levi said with a grin. Olivia rolled her eyes. Levi stood and brushed off his pants. "Ready to head inside? Grandma and Grandpa are coming to spend more time with us tomorrow." "I guess." Olivia tilted her head to look at Kiki one more time. "Hey, Levi? Thanks for reminding me that God never changes. I'm going to try to remember that when I'm feeling sad about Grandma and Grandpa." -Savannah Coleman