Transitions. Phasing out of one season into the next. Big or small: they’re still hard. But a necessary part of life. As the seasons change, we change. We grow and adapt and become.
God uses these transitions to teach us and mold us and open our eyes to the one constant in all of it: Him. In a life that’s constantly in flux, ebbing and flowing, He’s the only one who stays the same and is faithful til the end. Marriages fall apart, children grow up and leave, friends come and go but the Lord is ever-present and never-changing. An anchor to keep us steady and our refuge in the storm.
I don’t particularly love transitions but I’m getting used to them. Saying goodbyes to loved ones and friends who became family and meeting new friends in new places. Switching jobs and learning people’s names and new computer systems. Moving to a new place and starting over.
This time, I’m transitioning from my practicum in Swaziland to my final semester in Spain for G42. Soon, I’ll say goodbye to my amazing host family and be welcomed back by my G42 family. One that has morphed as the seniors have graduated and the new class is arriving. We’ll get to catch up on everyone’s adventures over the summer and get to know the new class. It’ll be different as half the people that defined my G42 experience for me-the Seniors- won’t be there and our class will be the new Seniors. Weird. Different. Hard. Good. Beautiful. I’m excited to return to G42 but sad to leave Africa and the people and place I’ve come to love.
But, as they say, everything happens for a reason. And, I know nothing is left to chance but instead, God uses everything for our good. Each new season is an opportunity for growth and learning and gratitude and drawing closer to the Lord.
This quote from a Proverbs 31 author Sarah Geringer resonated with me. She’s describing transitions, specifically when children grow up and aren’t little anymore but this can apply to any season.
“When we look back, we can be tempted to see only the good. But the truth is, each season has its own trials. These trials are like weights that strengthen our spiritual muscles for future seasons.
God wants to build our faith through each season. If we want our faith to grow, we can’t stay stuck in the past. We can embrace transitions as they arrive and learn to celebrate the changes.”
So, let’s embrace the transitions. Be grateful for the previous season and glean all the lessons we can out of it and then lean on God as we adjust to the new season. Be patient with ourselves and others as it may be uncomfortable and overwhelming. Press into the Lord and be thankful for the heartaches, challenges, triumphs, and joys. And rest in His unchanging presence through it all.
Love y’all,
Raina
My buddy Solomon says it best:
“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens:
a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.
??Ecclesiastes? ?3:1-8 ?NIV??
I know I am late reading this…but it’s exactly what I need to hear again today. As always, thanks for your insight.
Raina, The very last paragraph is such wonderful truth and exactly where I am right now. Transitioning. But the Lord is always leading us to the next place, whether we are young or older. How wonderful that He is unchanging.