Tag: transition

As Soon as You Began to Pray…

October 29, 2019 /

The sky is striped pink and peach, reflecting in the perfectly still lake as I write this. It’s early morning and quiet.

The peaceful landscape before me is at odds with how the past few months have felt as we transition from one season to another – both literally and metaphorically.

Instead of stillness, settled and calm, our life has felt like an autumn wind-storm that blows colored leaves off the trees and continues to swirl them around like question marks and possibilities that won’t land.

I want them to settle so I can rake them into neat manageable piles, but God has other plans.

In this season, I notice two of the spiritual disciplines that are most difficult for me – waiting, and trusting that God is at work for His glory and my good even when I can’t see it. Can anyone else relate?

There are no neat and tidy piles that I can control. Instead, we pray with open hands and try not to grasp.

In this season my prayer has been, “Help me to be present and grateful just for this day before me and trust You to hold the future.”

As I pray and wait, I’ve been reminded over and over of God’s words to Daniel:

“Daniel, I have now come to give you insight and understanding. As soon as you began to pray, a word went out, which I have come to tell you…”

“Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them. But the prince of the Persian kingdom resisted me twenty-one days. 

daniel 9:23, 10:12-13

In these verses I am assured that God is at work even when I don’t see it, and I’m reminded that there is a spiritual battle going on too! There is nothing Satan would like more than to discourage us or cause us to doubt God’s faithfulness.

Don’t lose heart! Look at Isaiah 65:24!

Before they call I will answer;
    while they are still speaking I will hear.

isaiah 65:24

Over the past couple weeks God brought to us an invitation we never expected in a million years. We’ve been asked to take a short-term interim pastorate at the International Church of Lucerne, Switzerland.

As we have prayed and talked with them, this is the verse that keeps coming to mind:

It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us…

Acts 15:28

It’s not neat and tidy and there are lots of consequences as we try to rearrange our life to accept this call and go as a team. But the combination of our gifts, their need, and the timing, seem to be coming together in something that may be pleasing to God. We think it will only be 2-4 months, but it has made even the plans we thought we had, tentative.

I share all this in the hopes that it will encourage others who are in seasons of question marks. You’re not alone!

If you have lived abroad for any amount of time, I’d love to hear your advice as we embark on this adventure! Leave your thoughts in the comments!

As always, I’d love to have you join me over on Instagram.

3 Helps When You’re Grieving But No One is Dead

July 29, 2019 /

Late in the middle of a steamy July night, heat lightning pulses intermittently, illuminating the dark corners of my brother’s large, hundred-year-old home. In the family room he lies in hospice and finally takes his last breath with my sister-in-law nearby.

When someone dies, we grieve. We are sometimes confused, lonely. We have trouble figuring out a “new normal”. Tears will spring to our eyes, triggered by something random and unexpected. We lack the energy to do…anything.

Fast forward four years…

My husband John and I turn off our GPS guide and pull into a parking place at a new church in a new neighborhood – new to us at least.

We are blasted by the summer heat as we open the doors of our car. We’re early. Uncomfortably early, like the awkward teen arriving first to a pool party. We slowly look around for a main entrance to the sanctuary.

People who look very different from us are chatting with each other. We know no one. As the only caucasians, it’s a little obvious we are visitors. We are warmly greeted by friendly African Americans who try to make us feel at home.

After an hour and a half of hand-clapping, body-swaying gospel music and a message, we sneak out early in order to make it on time to a reservation we made.

We’re grateful for so many things. To be able to worship anywhere we want. To not have the responsibility of leadership. To feel welcome.

We are thankful, but we are also grieving. Grieving the loss of consistent, life-giving worship and community at the church we left after serving for 30 years.

Maybe you can relate to one of these situations. No one has died, but you’re grieving. You’ve:

  • Moved to a new house – cross country, or across town
  • Just had your first baby
  • Gotten a divorce
  • Sent your first child off to kindergarten or your last off to college
  • Started a new job or lost an old job

You miss old comforts. You are sometimes confused, lonely. You have trouble figuring out a “new normal”. Tears will spring to your eyes, triggered by something random and unexpected. You lack energy to initiate new things.

Change may be by our choice, or not, but to step into something new you need to let go of something old, and that involves loss…grief.

There are many books written about the grieving process when someone dies. But lately I’ve been thinking about how some of the same insights and encouragement apply to those of us experiencing the loss that comes with change.

Some of the same things that help when we’re grieving the death of a person, may help when we’re grieving the loss of a season. These 3 things may help:

  1. Lean into your people.

Some relationships may change, but call that friend who knows you best and listens well. Be honest and vulnerable. Risk asking for help. It’s hard to be the “needy one”, but let others serve you. Accept the meal or the babysitting.

2. Be gentle with yourself. This one is especially hard for me. I’m impatient to make something happen, to jump into a clearly defined new rhythm. I want to DO SOMETHING, but sometimes God wants me to enjoy a snack and a nap like Elijah before his next assignment (1 Kings 19:5-9)

I saved a newspaper article from years ago about a study that was done on the effects of change – even change like moving a few blocks in the same town. It showed that our stress levels go up, and our immune system is compromised, and we’re more prone to accidents. So take a nap, or get a massage and don’t feel guilty.

3. Pray. Journal your feelings and your gratitude.

Especially when we’re going through a time of transition, we can feel thrown off balance. There are new choices to make. We’re not sure where our solid ground is.

I waited and waited and waited for God.
    At last he looked; finally he listened.
He lifted me out of the ditch,
    pulled me from deep mud.
He stood me up on a solid rock
    to make sure I wouldn’t slip.
He taught me how to sing the latest God-song,
    a praise-song to our God.

Psalm 40:1-3 msg

We need to process our feelings and new experiences with the Lord. Ask Him to give you perspective and discernment. Thank Him for the places You see Him providing. Ask, not just “What have I lost?”, but “What does this make possible?” (I think I heard this question first from Emily P. Freeman)

This resurrection life you received from God is not a timid, grave-tending life. It’s adventurously expectant, greeting God with a childlike “What’s next, Papa?”

romans 8:15

What change or transition are you experiencing in your life?

I’d love to hear from you! If you get this in email, just click on the title and it will take you to the site where you can post a comment. If it’s your first time, don’t worry if it doesn’t show up right away!

And if you’re interested in some smaller doses of inspiration, join me over on Instagram. (You can turn on “notifications” in the upper right-hand corner if you want to know when there is a post.)

What Are You Holding On To?

November 29, 2018 /

Transition. Almost everyone I know is experiencing it. It’s just a part of life. Things change, right? 

You might be welcoming your first baby into the world, or seeing your last “baby” off to college.

It can be a euphemism used when you lose your job or choose to change jobs. “I’m in transition.” 

It might involve a cross-country move, or a move from an apartment into your first real home. 

My husband and I are in a major season of transition – out of ministry at the church where we’ve served for 30 years, and into…something God hasn’t made completely clear yet. 

In times of change, it’s easy to major on what we’re losing. And sure, it’s appropriate to grieve. That’s part of the process, But these days I’m trying to focus on these verses from Romans 8:15-17

This resurrection life you received from God is not a timid, grave-tending life. It’s adventurously expectant, greeting God with a childlike “What’s next, Papa?” God’s Spirit touches our spirits and confirms who we really are. We know who he is, and we know who we are: Father and children.

During a different season of change years ago, a mentor of mine said, “Laura, imagine you’re a trapeze artist, high above a circus ring. You’re swinging, swinging, and the next trapeze floats into sight. You know you need to reach out and grab it, but in order to do that, you have to let go of the bar you’re holding onto. If you try to hold onto both the past and the future, you’ll be like a turkey wishbone pulled apart at Thanksgiving.” (Mixed metaphors, but you get the idea, right?)

In one sense I get it. This is true to a degree. But I’d like to tweak it a little. I suggest that if we hold on to any circumstances of life – clinging to, or pining for “this” perfect situation, or “that”, we’ll be perpetually fearful and disappointed. If instead, the one constant we cling to is our “Abba” we will always be secure, assured of His good plans for us. 

Easier said than done! This month I am trying to hold only to Jesus, celebrating His goodness and faithfulness over the past 30 years, and trusting Him with an attitude that is “adventurously expectant” for what’s ahead.

What about you? Where are you in transition? 

I pray this song is encouraging to you, as it is to me. I love the refrain at the end. “I’m holding on to You, Lord. You’re holding on to me.”

 

Three Things You Can do When You’re in Transition

September 25, 2013 /

photo-53Twenty-seven years ago my husband John and I moved from our home and families in the Chicago area to serve at a church in Washington D.C.  It was a huge change for us.  John was required to attend a seminar on transitions and while he was there he had to take an assessment that assigned points to the the different changes in your life.

POINTS???!  We love points!  We’re a tad competitive :).

For example, we were moving away from family for the first time, expecting a new baby (I was 8 months pregnant when we moved), buying our first house, starting a new job in a new church culture.  Each of these got points assigned to them indicating the amount of pressure in our life.

John came home and said, “Honey, I have good news and bad news.  The good news is, we WON!   We had more points than anyone there!  The bad news is they said we should have been in counseling 50 points ago!” Continue reading

Three Words to Remember When Looking for God’s Direction

March 4, 2013 /

It seems like everyone we know is in the midst of making big decisions these days. As John and I were talking about our own seeking of God’s will tonight, these words I wrote last year came to mind… 

I ran into a 23-year-old friend the other day and asked how she was doing. “Being in your twenties is…awkward!” she answered.  “All these questions about what you’re going to do with your life…who you’ll be, where you’ll go…what to say ‘yes’ to.”

That same day I had coffee with a friend who said her son is wrestling with some of the same unsettledness, and she herself is in a time of transition that has raised questions about God’s direction.  She said, “I thought by this age I’d have it figured out and be cruising along!”

24 hours earlier I had had dinner with a young single friend who said, “My life looks a lot different now than I thought it would.”

Each person’s situation was different, but there was a common theme. They longed for a clear plan.

Wouldn’t it be oh so nice if God always gave detailed instructions like,

“Susan, I want you to move to 673 Elm St., Provo Utah,  join the Church-of-People-on-the-Right-Track, take the job with State Farm, (not General Mills), and order the tomato soup at Panera for lunch.”

And sometimes in the Bible God does that, like when God gives Ananias specific instructions (Acts 9:11) to go to the house of Judas on the street called Straight, (Love it!). But usually it’s a bit fuzzier, like in Acts 15:28 where Paul writes, “It seemed good to us and the Holy Spirit…”

ARGH!  I want a sure thing, thank you very much!

When I’m in seasons of discernment and transition, the three words that I feel like God often whispers to me are “Open your hands”

IMG_0999

  • Open your hands…to release your plans – your idols, your “gotta have’s”, your picture of “perfect” in favor of God’s.  Acknowledge your dreams, but don’t clutch them.  Release them to God to change, add, refine…Clearly easier to do when you know God’s character and are starting from a place of faith in His goodness.
  • Open  your hands…to receive counsel from wise advisors who know you well and love Jesus.  But don’t clutch it either.
  • Open your hands…to use what God has put in them – your gifts, your courage, your availability.  What direction is consistent with God’s love and your wiring?
  • Open your hands…to let go of fear that you’ll “get it wrong”.  I know, I know… there are consequences to bad decisions, but God wants to be known and can redeem and redirect if we get off track.

Amazingly, when we do open our hand God fills it with His own. 

Yet I am always with you;
You hold me by my right hand.  You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory.

(Psalm 73:23,24)

What has been helpful to you when making life decisions?  

Two Questions to Consider Every Day

September 24, 2012 /

This week is the one year anniversary of the start of this little blog.

A year ago about this time I had nothing.

Ok, that’s “a lie from the pit of hell“, as daughter Maggie would say.  I “had” a lot of things.  A lovely home, and delightful family and friendships I treasured.  But it felt like I had nothing partly because I didn’t have an impressive job title.  Actually I didn’t have any job title.

I felt like an untethered space station floating in the inky cosmos.

We had just returned from a five month sabbatical and I was clueless about how the next season of my life would look.  What was my “place“?  Who was my “tribe“?  Was there anywhere God could use me to add value?

The answers seemed to be “nowhere”, “no-one”, and “nowhere” (again).

Maybe your circumstances are different, but you can relate.  You’re “in transition” (that horrible euphemism for “in a place that feels scary and directionless“). Or maybe you’re just feeling unsettled and under-utilized.

Continue reading

Endings and Beginnings

September 3, 2012 /

Today is Labor Day.  The unofficial end to summer.  For me it’s been my favorite summer ever.

But it was August 16th when this is what I found.

The very first glimmer of Fall.  An ending and a beginning.

I texted this picture to John, Katy, and Maggie and got two different responses:

Continue reading

What to do When you Don’t Know What to Do

October 24, 2011 /

I ran into a 23-year-old friend the other day and asked how she was doing. “Being in your twenties is…awkward!” she answered.  “All these questions about what you’re going to do with your life…who you’ll be, where you’ll go…what to say ‘yes’ to.”

That same day I had coffee with a fifty-something friend who said her son is wrestling with some of the same unsettledness, and she herself is in a time of transition that has raised questions about God’s direction.  She said, “I thought by this age I’d have it figured out and be cruising along!”

24 hours earlier I had had dinner with a thirty-something friend who said, “My life looks a lot different now than I thought it would.”

Each person’s situation was different, but there was a common theme.  If I were God (a job that’s apparently already taken) I’d give detailed instructions like,

“Susan, I want you to move to 673 Elm St., Provo Utah,  join the Church-of-People-on-the-Right-Track, take the job with State Farm, (not General Mills), and order the tomato soup at Panera for lunch.”

And sometimes in the Bible God does that, like when God gives Ananias specific instructions (Acts 9:11) to go to the house of Judas on the street called Straight, (Love it!), but often it’s a bit fuzzier, like in Acts 15:28 where Paul writes, “It seemed good to us and the Holy Spirit…”

When I’m in seasons of discernment and transition, the three words that I feel like God often whispers to me are “Open your hands”

  • Open your hands…to release your plans in favor of God’s. Acknowledge your dreams, but don’t clutch them.  Release them to God to change, add, refine…
  • Open  your hands…to receive counsel from wise advisors who know you well, but don’t clutch it either.
  • Open your hands…to use what God has put in them, whether that seems like saying “yes” to dramatic invitations, or something that seems very small and quiet.  Respond to what God has put right in front of you.

That’s just me.  What has been helpful to you when making life decisions?  What have you sensed God whispering to you?

If you want some more thoughts on this, take a look at this post by Steven Furtick: http://www.stevenfurtick.com/personal-development/obedience-creates-opportunity/

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