Transition

Phillipians 3:12 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13 Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus

tran·si·tion [tran-zish-uhn-sish-] noun

1.movement, passage, or change from one position, state, stage, subject, concept, etc., to another; change: the transition from adolescence to adulthood.

2.Music.

a.a passing from one key to another; modulation.

b.a brief modulation; a modulation used in passing.

3. A period during childbirth that precedes the expulsive phase of labor

I am in transition. That period of time in between starting on a long awaited journey to a dream or a goal and seeing any results of my labour. It is deeply uncomfortable and until I recognised it as transition I heard myself saying regularly, I cant do this, I dont even want to do this... lets just go home, or back to bed, or on a long holiday.

But as I was walking yesterday, I heard the Holy Spirit whisper, 'its ok, this is just transition'.

Anyone who has ever experienced labour and childbirth will understand transition. It is the period of time - usually a short one - - a lull - in between the first stage of painful contractions and the second stage of impending birth of a much awaited baby. And in my case (having birthed 4 children) I recognised it each time when I would suddenly and irrationally suggest that I could not and would not do this any more, I would like to go home now please and start to move toward the door. 

That statement "I cant do this - I'm going home" always gets the midwifes attention, because they realise that you are right there... on the cusp, almost time to start pushing, and they skillfully and gently guide you through with gentle words of encouragement, or stronger words to keep you focused. Because during transition we often lose our focus.

On reading about transition (in child birth), the major emotional marker for this stage is GIVING UP. Have you lost focus and are you feeling like giving up on your dream or goal? 

Keep going...

This ONE thing I do....

Its a funny thing, we spend so much time thinking and dreaming and planning for a future in which we see dreams fulfilled, goals reached, lifestyle and relationships improved or feeling like we are contributing on a higher level or to a greater capacity - we set goals and we anticipate a prize. We set ministry and leadership goals. We set family and relationship goals. We even set goals for our health and fitness levels and we labour our way toward them. Then as we take those first steps in seeing the dreams become a reality, we forget the time chasm between the dream and the fulfillment of that dream. It is during this phase of transition, when we have started, but not yet seen the fruit of our labour that we are  tempted to give up.

When life gets hard and my dreams seem out of reach  I remember Joseph. He was the one in the bible who had the most incredible vivid dreams of his brothers wheat sheaths bowing to his and then the sun the moon and specifically eleven stars bowing to him..... A dream of greatness, of being in a position of rulership and authority... a dream despised by his brothers.

So they got rid of him. Sold him into slavery and for 13 years he is a slave and then a prisoner in a dungeon. So much for his dream. Then in ONE MOMENT Joseph came before the king to interpret his dream as he had done for the kings servants in the prison, and in that moment he was transferred out of the prison becoming 2nd in command of the entire land with the only person higher than him being Pharaoh himself.

I so love genesis 50:20 where Joseph says to his repentant brothers "You intended to harm me, but God intened it for GOOD to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives".

It appears for Joseph that he did not sit back and say woe is me... wherever he was, whether a slave in Potiphars house or in the prison he prospered and was put in charge.  He used what was in his hand at the time, not waiting for the time to be right or the dream to be fulfilled before he started.  He started where he was.

We cannot see the future. But God can. We do not order our steps. God does. He has a plan and a future for us that is good and fills us with hope, but it doesnt mean that along the way there isnt hardship, imprisonment, slavery, undeserved treatment, misunderstanding, a loss of vision and the desire to give up.

If He has given you a dream and a vision then He will surely fulfill that in you, no matter what it looks like right now. Recognise transition. It is only for a while. Persevering produces good things in us and brings about the fulfillment of a dream.  Joseph was perfectly positioned to fulfill the dream that God gave him.  Would you dare to imagine that the stuff you are going through right now that is less than your ideal dream future, is positioning you perfectly for the dream God has planted in your heart? 

One other of my favourite verses (at the moment)  is in 2 Corinthians 7:8- 13 The message bible.  It talks about the work of God, that there was sorrow, though only for a while, and godly sorrow that unlike the sorrow of the world which produces death - godly sorrow produces in us good things....

Lets Read it....

The letter upset you, but only for a while. Now I’m glad—not that you were upset, but that you were jarred into turning things around. You let the distress bring you to God, not drive you from him. The result was all gain, no loss.

10 Distress that drives us to God does that. It turns us around. It gets us back in the way of salvation. We never regret that kind of pain. But those who let distress drive them away from God are full of regrets, end up on a deathbed of regrets.

11-13 And now, isn’t it wonderful all the ways in which this distress has goaded you closer to God? You’re more alive, more concerned, more sensitive, more reverent, more human, more passionate, more responsible. Looked at from any angle, you’ve come out of this with purity of heart. And that is what I was hoping for in the first place when I wrote the letter. My primary concern was not for the one who did the wrong or even the one wronged, but for you—that you would realize and act upon the deep, deep ties between us before God. That’s what happened—and we felt just great.

So persevere through the transition times in your life.  Whether it is building new friendship bases, starting a new job or career, changing your diet, moving to a new area.... and remember that perseverance builds character in us and a hope that does not disappoint.

Romans 5:3 And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; 4 and perseverance, character; and character, hope.5 Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

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