do people change?

Have you ever known somebody and thought to yourself that they never can or will change? As I was talking to a friend about such a person, I wanted to defend said person and say that they weren't all that bad, that eventually they would change, especially since they believed in God. I want to believe that God can change people, even the most unexpected. I mean, look at the one of the best examples in Saul-turned-to-Paul.

I don't want to limit God in my mind of what He can or can't do. I say that I believe in the God that parted the Red Sea. In the God that made a donkey talk (yes, it's in there, Numbers isn't as boring as you'd think). In the God that repeatedly brought His people back together to be a united nation despite being exiled and broken apart numerous times. If I believe in the God who created the world in seven days and raised a man from the dead after three, despite every bit of science telling us that it's irrefutably impossible, then why can't I believe that God can change somebody?

Or maybe it's not that I don't believe that God can change people, but that He won't. I think that's a harder pill to swallow. Because if that's what God wants, you're not really gonna get a hooray from me.

Maybe God doesn't want some people to change as easily as others would, for some reason that I'm not sure of. Maybe to strengthen my own faith, although I'm not sure how. Either way, I can't assume to know all of what God knows. And apparently, He knows best. So in the end, maybe it's not about believing that people can change, or even that God Himself is capable of it. Maybe it's about believing that whatever God chooses in that situation is best, even if it doesn't make any sense to me.

There is one thing I learned in high school that I remember best: I can't change other people. The only person I know that I have any real influence of changing is myself. And even then I need God to help me along the way.

Totally unrelated notes:
1. I'm wondering if the cliche "hard pill to swallow" inspired the blue pill/red pill scene in the Matrix. Great movie, by the way.
2. I'd like to give up school for Lent. Are you participating? What are you giving up? Here's a tip for you from twitter (@bloodwater): " Lent is more than just giving something up; it's about putting something better in its place."
3. I'm very unclever. See that blog entry title up there? Yeah, that's what I resorted to because I couldn't think of anything better than that. All my other choices = lame.
4. Lastly, waiting for that snow to melt. Bring on the Spring!