Transitions

BETHANY TIPPIN

There are times in life where change is happening. Sometimes they have an abrupt edge, a sharp end and then new beginning. Often, however, they are vague, cloudy, strange seasons where our awareness shifts from one priority to another. The thing is, transitions signal change… and some of us really push back at that.

In stories, and in scripture, these changes in pace, mood, tone, or perspective show up through words like “but,” “therefore,” “since,” and “furthermore.”

God told the Israelites, from the beginning of his relationship with them, “The LORD your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession” (Deut 7:6). Then he says, “Know therefore that the LORD your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments” (Deut 7:7).

The Israelites were chosen. They were treasured. They were given the gift of a relationship with a faithful God who blesses and loves for generation after generation.

Big transition: 

Through Jesus, anyone who believes in him as Savior, Lord, and Son is chosen. All people in all places and at all times are treasured. We all have a chance to say yes to relationship with a faithful God who blesses and loves forever.

Next week, my kids go back to school. We transition from summer into fall. We shift from children having free time and mom’s schedule being run by their appointments, plans, and activities to their time dedicated to education and mine open to the freedom of choice. Therefore, wisdom and discernment rise as necessary tools, a change in dependency and rhythm. I was resting. Now it’s time to work.

May the natural transitions of seasonal change, schedule shifts, endings and beginnings push us all to a sense of more rather than less. May you see hope on the horizon and God’s fingerprints in the change.