“In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.” John 14:2-3
Is it transitioning from one job to another? From one season
of life to another—getting married, becoming a parent or grandparent? Seasonal
transitions from winter to spring, summer to fall, weather transitions… Sun rises or sun sets. Or even
something as simple as transitioning from sleep to wakefulness?
The word transition is broad and can encompass many
things, including both the mundane and the extraordinary. Lately that word has
been rolling around in my head and settling deeper into my heart.
In January of this year, I held the hand of a good
friend who passed from this temporal world into the eternal. If you have never
experienced that profound transition, it is not something anyone can describe.
Much like giving birth to a child, every experience is unique and very
personal. Until you experience it first hand, the concept and understanding can
be hard to grasp.
Thankfully my elderly friend was ready for this transition. At
95 years old, she had lived a full and very blessed life. In her final
days she was suffering from a painful condition and was asking God to take her
home to be with her loved ones who had gone before her.
“To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.” 2 Corinthians 5:8
I understand that not everyone experiences this kind of transition,
but regardless of how it unfolds, the transition still happens and is just as
real and significant.
Not unlike a
newborn baby transitioning from the womb into this world, an entirely
new existence, those who leave this life are stepping into another. One life
giving way to the next. Another type of birth, from the temporal into the
eternal.
In both birth and death, there is a crossing over. In both, there is letting go of one reality to enter another. And in both, there is a holy moment where heaven meets earth in ways we don’t fully understand.
“He
has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the
human heart…” — Ecclesiastes 3:11
Because of my elderly friend’s passing Tom and I are looking
at a transition of our own. A different type of transition but still
significant to us.
For the last year and
a half, we had the privilege of living with her, and caring for her, so that
she could remain in her home. As it turned out, this was a two-way street. She
cared for us while we cared for her. It was a wonderful season of ministry for
both of us.
Now that season has passed along with her. We are still in
her home for the moment, but we don’t yet know where we are going next. And in
many ways, that feels like its own kind of birth.
And that’s where faith meets transition.
Tom and I have talked, prayed, searched, and considered
different possibilities. But at the end of the day, we find ourselves in a
familiar place—waiting on the Lord. We have given our lives to Him fully. And
time and time again, He has proven Himself faithful in ways we could have never
orchestrated on our own.
So, we wait… not passively, but expectantly.
“Trust
in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all
your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5–6
Interestingly, this transition feels different.
Other areas of our lives have shifted as well. In addition
to not caring for elderly people, we are no longer life coaching or leading
groups, and our family is spread across the country. There’s nothing tying us
to one specific place.
We are established
here—with doctors, insurance, and dear friends. So, if God leads us to stay, we
will receive that with gratitude and certainly will not complain, lol. But our
hearts are open.
“Here I am, Lord… send me.”
“Then
I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send? And who will go for
us?’ And I said, ‘Here am I. Send me!’” Isaiah 6:8
At the core of it all, our deepest desire is to be used by
God.
The years we spent living at the B&B were filled with
moments of ministry that were nothing short of miraculous. This past season
with our elderly friend was different—but no less meaningful or miraculous.
And now… we sense that God is preparing something new.
Preparing to open a door to our new assignment.
So here we are. Waiting. Listening. Trusting. Standing in
the space between what was and what will be. A new birth.
'Speak, LORD, for your servant is
listening.' " 1 Samuel
3: 9
Selah: Reflection and Pause
Every transition carries within it both an ending and a
beginning.
But often, we focus so much on what we’re leaving behind
that we miss what God is forming within us.
What if this season you’re in… is not just a waiting
room—but a womb?
A place where something new is being shaped, prepared, and
brought to life in God’s perfect timing.
Take a moment to reflect:
- What
transition are you currently walking through?
- Does
it feel more like an ending… or a beginning?
- What
might God be forming in you during this in-between season?
“The
Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” Exodus 14:14
“Remember
the former things, those of long ago; I am God, and there is no other; I am
God, and there is none like me. I make known the end from the beginning, from
ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will
do all that I please.” Isaiah 46: 9-10