Change happens. Sometimes, it’s planned. Sometimes, it’s unexpected. Sometimes, it feels forced. Sometimes, it’s necessary. Sometimes, it is for the good and sometimes, we wish it didn’t happen. Change can be unsettling, especially if you don’t know exactly who or what is coming next or where it will take you. It is in transition though that change actually happens.
Change and transition are usually thought of as the same, but they’re not. Change is an event or a situation that is different from the current situation. Transition is the process of going from the current situation to a new situation. In it is the word “transit” which means “to go across.” Change can happen rather quickly, but transition may not as it is a journey. Change is seen externally, but transition happens internally. You can move to a new spot physically, but your mind can still be stuck in the old spot you were in.
To wrap our minds around something new, we have to deal with the old first. We have to come to terms with a thing ending and a new thing beginning. There’s almost like this convincing and accepting, dealing with and/or healing from, this going through all of the emotions so we can move or settle into the change.
Transition is a process and it’s okay to go through that process. It’s okay to feel all the feelings. But most importantly, it’s okay to go to God with all of it and ask Him what’s going on, and tell Him everything that you feel. It’s okay to be searching for Him in it. He says, “Seek Me” anyway and guess what? You will find Him. That’s His promise.
You are not alone in the transition. When we don’t know what to do or where we are going, His word is lamp to our feet and light to our path. We need Him and Him alone. Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. It is in the transition that we can get to know God more, like understanding what it means for Him to be our Shepherd, for example.
With Him as our Shepherd, we lack nothing. With Him as our Shepherd, He’s our Provider, our Caregiver, our Leader, our Peace, the Restorer of our souls. As our Shepherd, He’s also our Defender, and our Protector. He’s the Most High Priest who anoints us in the presence of our enemies. He’s our Sustainer. He’s our Judge, Advocate, and Avenger. He is grace and truth. He is God. And surely, not maybe, goodness and mercy shall follow us all the days of our lives and our response is that we shall dwell in the house of the Lord, be in His presence forever.
There is no one better to walk with in transition than with God. Father God is watching over us and has already ordered every step. He has the plans all thought out, plans of peace, hope and a future. Jesus, who sticks closer than a brother, is God with us, and He has gone through what we are going through. Holy Spirit is God in us. He knows the thoughts of the Father and He leads us into all truth. He teaches us all things. When you can’t see what’s ahead, it’s okay if you’ve got your faith in God. You may feel unsure but you can still say, “Lord, I’m going to trust You anyway.”