In the last ten years, I have packed up my things and moved twenty-one times. TWENTY-ONE TIMES! That is an average of two moves per year, having experienced many nights of packing, many searches for a new home, many periods of waiting, many piles of purged items, and many goodbyes and hellos. Along the way, I have learned a thing or two about transitions that I’d like to share because, in one way or another, we are all experiencing transition.
First, there is the need or desire for change. Whether it’s for negative or positive reasons, it is more often than not marked by uncertainty and unknown, and we begin to prepare for all sorts of outcomes. To change is to risk. I felt that risk whenever I’d begin researching new homes, new jobs, new cities — it meant having a need to lean on God in the midst of what felt like shooting in the dark. It was an opportunity to see the way God would orchestrate things, but it also meant anxiety and moments of wondering if, this time, He wouldn’t. I am glad to say that in my twenty-one times of moving, He has not failed to take care of me and help me through those changes.
Once we make a change, there is the hard work of engaging in something new. To some degree, there are always elements of building, learning, and discovering. I remember moving to cities where I only had one connection there to begin with. It required a lot of time of building relationships, learning about myself, and stepping out to discover new places and experiences, all the while feeling both excited and uncomfortable.
But between the two, there is something so significant, and that is the stage of anticipation and waiting. There have been a few times where I didn’t have to wait long for plans to come together — those transitions were a cinch. But the vast majority of my moves involved long periods of drawn out anticipation and waiting.
In the waiting, there is something remarkable that happens. If you are in this stage, revel in it. This is where refinement happens, where God beckons you to let go of control; where He offers security through His peace and presence before the security of plans in place. There was one particular move where I found myself in this period for over two months, my car packed with possessions, and me crashing on one couch or another. I was neither here nor there, in the middle of waiting and asking God for a sense of security and stability from Him. Needless to say, I came out stronger and more stable through that process.
A transition can certainly be difficult, and depending on what stage you’re in, will come with its unique challenges. But in the long run, change and transition carry incredible opportunities to grow and see God in the shake-up of our worlds.
Rachel Fou
Northwest Field Director
Inspirational