Transitions are a mixed bag. Sometimes they are exciting,
like a new marriage or an upgrade in our living circumstances. And sometimes
they are less than exciting – the loss of a job or having to deal with a
permanent illness. Either way, there is likely to be anxiety.
Why anxiety? There is always an unknown element and an adjustment
period.
Experts have predicted that it can take up to three years
for a person relocating to a new city, away from friends and familiarity, to
feel comfortable and at home again in the new location. I have had a good many
friends who have made major moves and they can attest to truth of this. Even
when the move was desirable and planned, the change was not easy or quick.
I know that there will come a time when we must move from
full time employment to part time – and then to who knows what. It is inevitable,
but will I welcome it, or will I resist it?
How about the transition from adolescent to adult? From
young married adults to parents? Or from parents to empty-nesters? Some look
forward to the day, but others delay the changeover to the very last possible
moment.
The Bible is full of these life transitions – accounts of
long journeys, captivities, men appointed by God to be kings and prophets and
disciples. Many left families, countries and comfort to respond to the call of
God. I’ll bet there was a lot of fear and anxiety.
There are other kinds of transitions, too. The kinds that are
not visible. Moving from bitterness and resentment to forgiveness, greed to
giving, violent to peaceful, angry to calm, addicted to sober and fearful to
confident. These too, are major life shifts, and may take time to adjust to.
Will people accept those changes, even when they are
positive or will they want the old man or woman back, the one that they have assigned
to a particular category? Good changes can often stress out a relationship almost
as significantly as negative ones in certain cases.
My favorite transition is the one Jesus offers – a new life
free of condemnation. This is a transformation from the inside out. Is it
visible? Some say that there is light in the eyes of the believer that did not
exist before making the decision to follow Him. It may be visible in the
different decisions he or she makes in everyday life. Hopefully it will be
visible in the way he loves and cares for others.
The Relationship
Center
2 Corinthians 5:17 (NLT) This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!
No comments:
Post a Comment