Take two. I wrote out a beautiful post this morning that only managed to “somehow” get deleted. Thanks internet. *insert eye roll here* So I mulled it over all day and decided to give it another try with a new topic…
Transition. How does that word make you feel? What emotions does it bring up? It’s easy to view it as a negative word filled with loss, the end, closure, and pain. But it’s also easy to view it as a positive word filled with excitement, adventure, the beginning, growth, and life.
I’ve been in the midst of a transition of my own. Something I’m learning is that it actually requires both sadness and joy to endure it. You see, if I only experience sadness, I get easily depressed. I dramatize every instance and every scenario that comes across my day and tears always seem to be near the surface. The constant sadness brings about a depression and frankly, I don’t need to bother with that. I need joy, life, love, and excitement! On the other hand, constant joy also has a bizarre and unexpected side effect. It leaves you feeling unknown, fake, and unrealistic. Sure, my attitude is bubbly and joyful in the midst of every experience; I also told you everything you wanted to hear; but my heart knows I’m a liar and my fake smile becomes a mask to hide behind. I’ve made it a point to lay down my masks and let myself be known.
Transition. How does that word make you feel? What emotions does it bring up? It’s easy to view it as a negative word filled with loss, the end, closure, and pain. But it’s also easy to view it as a positive word filled with excitement, adventure, the beginning, growth, and life.
I’ve been in the midst of a transition of my own. Something I’m learning is that it actually requires both sadness and joy to endure it. You see, if I only experience sadness, I get easily depressed. I dramatize every instance and every scenario that comes across my day and tears always seem to be near the surface. The constant sadness brings about a depression and frankly, I don’t need to bother with that. I need joy, life, love, and excitement! On the other hand, constant joy also has a bizarre and unexpected side effect. It leaves you feeling unknown, fake, and unrealistic. Sure, my attitude is bubbly and joyful in the midst of every experience; I also told you everything you wanted to hear; but my heart knows I’m a liar and my fake smile becomes a mask to hide behind. I’ve made it a point to lay down my masks and let myself be known.
"I’ve made it a point to lay down my masks and let myself be known."
Vulnerability is key. You have to let people in on the process. You have to tell people the ups, but also the downs. What I’ve found is the downs are probably more normal than you think! But who is going to tell you that unless you let someone in on what you’re thinking. I actually feel better when I can tell someone I’m not as put together as I’ve made it sound. When I can say, “Hey! This is hard!” I leave room for someone to respond, “Yes! But you can do it!” Now I feel known, I am known, I’m honest, and this is the beginning of a process!
"What I've found is the downs are probably more normal than you think!"
Oh man! There’s another scary word… Process. Process equates to time, effort, and actually having to wait for things. In a world of instant gratification, we have learned to fear process.
However, some of the best meals take the longest to cook.
Could you imagine how weird it would be if babies were born instantly instead of over a 9 month process? You would have no time to prepare for parenthood.
What would our weather be like if there was not a process to join it? We would no longer have warm new beginnings, extremely hot growth, cool harvests, and cold hibernating rest times! It would all just be unpredictable, unexplainable, and chaotic!
Process brings about satisfaction, quality, preparation time, growth, routine, order, excitement, new, old, and life itself! We have to learn how to nail process. God thought it was important- He decided to take 6 days to build the universe and one day to rest. He could have made everything all at once if He wanted to- but He chose a process. How many hidden treasures do we over look daily because we refuse to surrender to the process? God has promised to work all things together for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose! This is a promise to find good in the process and good in the transition.
My ultimate goal is throughout change, I live wholeheartedly. One of my new favorite songs was written by Amanda Cook. It’s called Pieces. The chorus is simple but powerful!
“You don’t give your heart in pieces.
You don’t hide yourself to tease us.”
If God, the creator of the universe, is willing to give all of Himself to us, why would I not do the same? Similar to taking off the mask and being vulnerable, being wholehearted means all of you shows up all the time. It’s easy to check out or only bring part of ourselves when we feel pain. But what would happen if we just experienced “the feels” wholeheartedly? When life is good, I want to be all there. I want to experience the good with all of my senses and with all of my mind, will, and emotion! I want to be fully present for the experience! But what I am learning is that you can not be fully present for the good and only half present for the bad. When you sign up to be wholehearted- to be truly wholehearted means you live like this consistently.
Mourning isn’t bad. My friend Traci calls it a noble pain. It hurts only because you did a good job of loving well. Parts of transition should hurt because it means I lived wholeheartedly in my last season. I lived, I loved, I gave parts of me away. I lived with my heart and emotions involved! I want to walk away from a closing season knowing I can mourn it because I lived it well. I want to feel the sting because I gave the last season my all! God promises to comfort those who mourn. I will never know Him as my comforter if I never give myself permission to mourn. Get the closure necessary from the good and bad experiences to know who God is for you in that place.
So that covers where we’re coming from and where we are currently… But where are we going?
Jehovah Shammah is one of the names of God. It means, “The Lord Is There.” I want to encourage you right now with this fact- wherever you’re going, The Lord is There! He does not sit in confusion, uncertainty, unknown, or fear. He is already there. The same God that was with you in the last season is already in your next season! He is there! He will never leave you or forsake you! He is there! He goes before you, He prepares the way, He makes your path straight. He is there. He is in the process. He is in the waiting. He is in the transition. He is in the future. He is in the new place. He is in the new circumstances. He already has seen the promised land! He is already there! He has gone to prepare a place for you and bring you there to be with Him!
However, some of the best meals take the longest to cook.
Could you imagine how weird it would be if babies were born instantly instead of over a 9 month process? You would have no time to prepare for parenthood.
What would our weather be like if there was not a process to join it? We would no longer have warm new beginnings, extremely hot growth, cool harvests, and cold hibernating rest times! It would all just be unpredictable, unexplainable, and chaotic!
Process brings about satisfaction, quality, preparation time, growth, routine, order, excitement, new, old, and life itself! We have to learn how to nail process. God thought it was important- He decided to take 6 days to build the universe and one day to rest. He could have made everything all at once if He wanted to- but He chose a process. How many hidden treasures do we over look daily because we refuse to surrender to the process? God has promised to work all things together for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose! This is a promise to find good in the process and good in the transition.
My ultimate goal is throughout change, I live wholeheartedly. One of my new favorite songs was written by Amanda Cook. It’s called Pieces. The chorus is simple but powerful!
“You don’t give your heart in pieces.
You don’t hide yourself to tease us.”
If God, the creator of the universe, is willing to give all of Himself to us, why would I not do the same? Similar to taking off the mask and being vulnerable, being wholehearted means all of you shows up all the time. It’s easy to check out or only bring part of ourselves when we feel pain. But what would happen if we just experienced “the feels” wholeheartedly? When life is good, I want to be all there. I want to experience the good with all of my senses and with all of my mind, will, and emotion! I want to be fully present for the experience! But what I am learning is that you can not be fully present for the good and only half present for the bad. When you sign up to be wholehearted- to be truly wholehearted means you live like this consistently.
Mourning isn’t bad. My friend Traci calls it a noble pain. It hurts only because you did a good job of loving well. Parts of transition should hurt because it means I lived wholeheartedly in my last season. I lived, I loved, I gave parts of me away. I lived with my heart and emotions involved! I want to walk away from a closing season knowing I can mourn it because I lived it well. I want to feel the sting because I gave the last season my all! God promises to comfort those who mourn. I will never know Him as my comforter if I never give myself permission to mourn. Get the closure necessary from the good and bad experiences to know who God is for you in that place.
So that covers where we’re coming from and where we are currently… But where are we going?
Jehovah Shammah is one of the names of God. It means, “The Lord Is There.” I want to encourage you right now with this fact- wherever you’re going, The Lord is There! He does not sit in confusion, uncertainty, unknown, or fear. He is already there. The same God that was with you in the last season is already in your next season! He is there! He will never leave you or forsake you! He is there! He goes before you, He prepares the way, He makes your path straight. He is there. He is in the process. He is in the waiting. He is in the transition. He is in the future. He is in the new place. He is in the new circumstances. He already has seen the promised land! He is already there! He has gone to prepare a place for you and bring you there to be with Him!
"Jehovah Shammah is one of the names of God. It means, "The Lord Is There."
So stand tall. Stand firm. Know the Lord, your God is on your side and where you are going He is also! Where you are now, He stands beside you. Where you have been He is there also. He just whispers one thing! "Trust me." Proverbs 3:5 says “Trust in the Lord with all your heart! Lean NOT on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths!”
When you have done all you can do- when you have let people in; when you have given all of your heart; when you have mourned and been comforted; when you have done all you know to do, STAND! Stand on the promises of God! Cast away fear and trembling. Instead, trust in the One who is already there. He holds your future. He knows the desires of your heart. He is going to get you where He wants you to be. Stay steadfast and strong. Delight yourself in the Lord. Have faith! The thing about transition, process and waiting is this: it is TEMPORARY! God is going to come crashing in with a “suddenly.”
Suddenly, your breakthrough is coming. Suddenly, you will wake up and find yourself on the other side. Suddenly, you will put off your mourning and wake up rejoicing. Suddenly, the storm will calm. And when that day comes, you will stand tall knowing that you have seen a new face of God that you didn’t know before.
When you have done all you can do- when you have let people in; when you have given all of your heart; when you have mourned and been comforted; when you have done all you know to do, STAND! Stand on the promises of God! Cast away fear and trembling. Instead, trust in the One who is already there. He holds your future. He knows the desires of your heart. He is going to get you where He wants you to be. Stay steadfast and strong. Delight yourself in the Lord. Have faith! The thing about transition, process and waiting is this: it is TEMPORARY! God is going to come crashing in with a “suddenly.”
Suddenly, your breakthrough is coming. Suddenly, you will wake up and find yourself on the other side. Suddenly, you will put off your mourning and wake up rejoicing. Suddenly, the storm will calm. And when that day comes, you will stand tall knowing that you have seen a new face of God that you didn’t know before.