My life is …. continually changing. My girlfriends often tease me that God somehow always has me in transition.
Truth be told I feel like Gumby. Gumby was a toy that looked like a stick figure, and he could be stretched and twisted in a million different directions. That’s my life.
This post contains affiliate links, to read my full disclosure, click here.
If you were to make a map of my life, it would look like a jumble of twisted, turning lines, seeming to go in no particular direction. But even though my roadmap might not make sense to anyone else, it makes sense to me. Why? Because the Lord has his hand on my life.
“Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” Nathanael asked.
“Come and see,” said Philip. {John 1:46}
Nazareth is Transition
Boy, have I had many Nazareths in my life! Our first was right after our marriage. Packing our cars for a trip almost halfway across the country, we had only been married for 48 hours.
48 hours and I was leaving everything and everyone I had ever known. We drove from Virginia to Louisiana, in two cars, with only CB radios to connect us (yes, this was the dark ages – before cell phones!). This move was to be the first of many transitions in my life or Nazareths.
Silly me, l should have connected the dots. This trip was quite an adventure, from staying in a hotel room that had heat, but if you turned it on it caused the room to smell like something was burning – it was – the electrical cord was frayed and sparking and smoking. So that night our heat came from each other as we huddled together under several blankets with our cat, who was making this journey with us.
Transition Can Be An Adventure
The (mis)adventures continued as right outside Atlanta, my car, a Nissan Sentra began to shake and shimmy like Elvis Presley’s hips if I did any more than 45 mph. Calling my husband on the CB radio, sounding a bit harried, he told me we couldn’t stop until we made it through Atlanta.
Now anyone who has driven through Atlanta knows that rush hour in Atlanta is horrible. It was awful 30 years ago, and it is still awful. So taking a deep breath and praying like my life depended on it, I clutched that steering wheel until my knuckles turned white, and kept going. We got through Atlanta, but let me tell you that I kept calling my husband on that CB for reassurance that I was not going to lose a tire! I’m sure some of the truckers on that channel got quite a laugh out of our terse and tense conversations!
On the other side of Atlanta, Jim thankfully found a used tire shop. I forgot to mention that we were on a super tight budget, and there was no extra fat in it for a tire. But the kind old gentleman who owned the shop took one look at my tires and told us that none of my tires matched. And that was part of the problem. He gave us a fair price to get us back on the road safely, and we continued our adventure.
Just a chance encounter? No, I don’t think so. I think even then, in that situation, God knew what would happen, and placed this kind gentleman in our path. I think he was an angel in disguise because God has been known to do this.
Arriving in Louisiana, I felt like I had been abandoned and dropped into a brand new world. But it was there, during this transition that I learned true dependence on God.
Was it hard for me? Yes. Did I long for what I had left? Yes. But during this time I was being prepared for what was ahead.
Transitions Lead to Growth
When we moved back to Virginia 11 months later, I had grown. I didn’t understand the reason for the relocation at the time, but in hindsight, the reasons began to become clear.
There have been other “Nazareth's” in my life. But through each one, I have grown spiritually.
I am in the middle of another transition period – this time its called retirement – Jim & I are adjusting to this new phase and enjoying the opportunities that have opened for us, not by accident, but by the Lord. We’re living life, not looking back, but looking forward to each day.
Tips for Facing Transition
Maybe you are in the midst of change and transition and can’t see what’s ahead. If we are following Jesus, we can be assured that He has a plan, and does know where the road goes.
When you are faced with a transition in your life:
- Run to Jesus, and pray! Ask Him how to handle this change of life
- Talk with your spouse, and face the transition head on
- Create a plan
- Know that this too shall pass
- Walk in faith, knowing that even though you don't know what pitfalls lie ahead, God does, and He is in control
If you need some encouragement today, check out the Bible studies listed above or sign up for Katie's free inspirational course below.