Living in Transition

It's the week of Thanksgiving and like most people, I am spending it with family and friends. The holidays are always a great time to be with the people you love and it creates a place to sit back and reflect over the past year and beyond. 

Through the festivities, preparing and eating a Thanksgiving meal together, laughing and joking, and competing at the card table; I find myself reflecting over the past few years. 

A lot has changed these past few years. I graduated college, joined a church planting team in Africa, joined a mission board and raised money to move to Africa. I started jobs and ended jobs. Built new relationships and ended others. I traveled from coast to coast and put thousands of miles on my car. I have a niece, a nephew and another on the way! I have a new sister-in-law and a couple of younger siblings growing up before my eyes. I lived in five different homes in two different cities...

As you can see, a lot has changed! 

There have been some real ups and some serious downs.

And you know what I realized as I sat and reflected? 

I have been living in a season of transition since I graduated college. 

One thing you need to know about me is that I LOVE to look ahead to what is next... but that sometimes makes me a bit restless in the now. 

This has been one of the best seasons of life and one of the hardest as well! 

Here is what I am learning about living in a season of transition...

It is really uncomfortable! Like, really, really uncomfortable...

There is nothing fun about patiently waiting on what you are so excited to do. I mean, have you ever seen a toddler who's been told that she is going to Disney World someday soon? (lessons from my sister)

Yeah, I am kind of like my three-year-old niece... 

As I continued to reflect, I thought about how much God has grown me in this season.

And I realized something... He had to move me to a season of transition to show me I don't have as much control as I think I do. I actually have none! News to me...

It is in this season of transition that I am forced to rely on God. And when I finally relinquished control, God moved. 

He has broken things in me that needed to be broken.

He has built up what needed to be built up. 

He has revealed the ugliness of my sin and showed me the beauty of His grace and love. 

A season of transition may be uncomfortable but I am learning to love it and welcome it. Yeah, it's uncomfortable, but when you step into the discomfort, you find Peace, Love, Grace, and Forgiveness all wrapped into one.  Jesus. 

I am addicted to being uncomfortable, because when I am, I get to see God do incredible things! When I am in a position that makes me so vulnerable that the only way to get through is to trust God more, something always happens. 

Idols are destroyed. Sin is broken. Relationships are mended. 

I am reminded of the passage in James 1

"Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing."

Now, let me be clear... I do not believe that I am facing any trial of the sort he was speaking to when he was writing to this church in particular. However, "various kinds" includes moments of discomfort. 

It is these uncomfortable seasons that the Lord is using to make us complete. 

In the West, we are pretty comfortable. It is our instinct to run from discomfort but we should be praying for it in our lives.

Nothing will change you more than Jesus. Jesus saw the discomfort and he walked toward it. Nothing will feel more uncomfortable than letting go of your control and trusting Him more. And you will never be the same when all of you, is all of Him. 

So yes, I am currently living in a season of transition and probably will be for the next couple of years. I am so thankful for this season and I am excited to see what God will do in me and through me.

Let's stop running from discomfort and allow the Lord to use it to reveal His ultimate Glory.

What are the uncomfortable things that you are running from?

Is it a sin that you are fearful of revealing?

Is it a conversation you know you need to have with someone but you are afraid of what they will say?

Have you felt lead to give to a person in need but are concerned about your own finances? 

Do you have a wound that you don't want to talk about because it would be too uncomfortable to deal with?

Get down on your knees and ask God to give you the courage to step into the discomfort... then take a step. Watch what He will do. Then Worship Him for His faithfulness and His Goodness.