Okaaay, so I MUST apologize for being so MIA for the past *cough cough* almost two months. Let me take a moment to hang my head in shame. Life has been…well…life; and that explains my absence. Have you ever had those times where you just feel like blaaaaaaah? It’s like you just don’t want to do anything, or talk to anyone, or be bothered at all. I was having a personal moment. Which is pretty much explained in this post:
In life, people tend to talk about the major events that occur in it. Growing up you would hear things like, “I’m going to graduate, go to college, get my degree, get a nice job, get married, have kids, and live happily ever after.” Blah x3. However, they never include the in-between phases; the actual means of getting to the next “major life event”. TRANSITION. That is the part of life that I wish was emphasized more. Transition is good in the sense of getting to the next step in life but, a lot of times, the actual phase of it sucks. Most times, you don’t know what to expect in your next season and you’re not completely sure of what to do in your current season. All that you know is that you can’t go back to the prior season because that time is up. So you’re forced to move on and that little piece in between seasons is the weirdest and most awkward place to be in.
Toward the end of 2012, God began to tell me that this year, 2013, was going to bring about a lot of transition…boy, was He right! I had experienced transition in so many aspects of my life: I moved on from our college ministry at my church in which I was heavily involved in, I turned 25 (that could be an entire blog post in itself), I was laid off from my job, and also experienced changes in some of my relationships. Although God told me that the transition was coming, the state it left me in had me feeling confused and helpless. I was in a constant feeling of being in limbo all the way down to my emotions. Just when I started to get in my feelings about the situation I heard a message by Pastor Sheryl Brady where she was talking about transition. (It seems as though God always sends a word for you right when you need it) She had a whole bunch of quoteables throughout her sermon but something that stuck out to me was this: “Transition is a breaking point which moves you into a posture of prayer, humbles you and makes you search for the Lord.” After a mini praise break and with tears running down my face, I realized that 1) I was exactly where God wanted me to be and 2) I had been approaching the situation all wrong. Instead of sulking and worrying about what to do next, I needed to be going to God and really seeking direction and instruction for my next phase in life. And instead of viewing the transition as a negative, I needed to be thankful for this time of preparation. So, some things that I have learned and am still learning about transition is that:
1. It never leaves.
Transition is something that is recurring; you will never get away from it so make sure you get the most out of that time.
2. It is necessary.
Even though the in-between phase isn’t always the best, remember it is required so that you can get to the next phase in life. Don’t be upset because you’re experiencing it, it is a part of the process.
3. It is the time to really get in God’s face and search for guidance.
Instead of complaining about it or allowing yourself to get worked up and confused, go to God in prayer and seriously GO IN! He already knows what you’re going through and what you are feeling and He has instructions for your next step. There’s nothing wrong with venting to your friends and family members about your situation but at the end of the day, your biggest vent session should be to God.
We should learn to celebrate the transition because we know it’s helping us to get where we need to be. I’m not sure if one ever gets used to the idea of transition but you can always learn what to do and be prepared for it whenever it comes. Seek God, seek His guidance, and trust that He has everything under control.
