Navigating Life's Transitions

Brother, the world we live in is a world of constant change. Maybe you've noticed, in recent times, you turn on the TV, it's a world of flux, and it's a world of transition. Again, you don't have to look too far to know that that's true. And it's always been that way. Although, in more recent times, it seems to have sped up. There's times where the world goes through surges of transitions, and it seems like the people are just seeking to keep up in that process. Now, for you and I, we live in a world of transition, and as a result, we are human beings that live lives that are full of transitions as well. You know, change and transition is a way of life for all of us, even in the Church of God. And so, for me today, the inspiration behind speaking on transitions for the sermon has been mere observation. And that's the inspiration. It's just looking around observation, because as I look at our region, at the congregations on our circuit, on the people that congregate with us within our congregations, I see that many on the circuit are in a state of transition. Maybe it's personally, maybe it's as a family. But again, a lot of transitions taking on, going on around us in one form or another.

In recent weeks, we've had three families that have moved into the Spokane region, Spokane area, a little north. And for us, that's been a blessing to sort of sit back and watch these families arrive. It adds to the numbers. We have children in the mix adding to the numbers in Spokane, which is very exciting for all of us to see. And frankly, it's easy for us to watch. We just kind of sit back and enjoy the view as new people walk in the door and fellowship with us. And we say, hey, this is great! This is easy! Yet, it isn't always so easy for those who have walked in the door. They've gone through quite a major transition. Oftentimes, there are jobs that have been left behind in order to make the move. Oftentimes, there are houses that have been put on the market and sold on one end, and then hunted out and acquired on the other end. Then you have to pack up all your goods. You start sorting through everything. What stays? What goes? What's worth moving? I've started that process as well. I've seen some people having to walk through that lately, and I thought I should get a five-year jump on this. And I kind of think towards that of, do I really want this item sticking around? Is it worth even hanging on to?

Again, there's this transition. There's friends and family that oftentimes get left behind, and new friends that need to be made on the other end. For children, there are schools that need to be changed. Maybe even you're walking out in the middle of one school year, and you're resuming in another school, and there's that transition of where was your school at compared to where you're going. And again, it's a process that takes place for the whole family if it's something like a major move. But again, it's change. And it's moving from the familiar oftentimes to the unfamiliar, and those things do affect us as human beings. There's new church congregations to become acquainted with, and again, it's easy for us to basically sit back and be observers of those things. We appreciate the fact that we do have new people walking in the door, but through those going through the process, there's a lot of thoughts behind that. There's been a lot of thoughts and planning and anticipation in the run-up to that. There's a lot of emotions tied into that. There's a lot of work that's tied into those things, and it doesn't just happen overnight. It takes planning, and it takes marching through that process with determination. Again, for us, it just seems easy. Somebody walked in the door, and we say, welcome. Here in the Clearwater Congregation, it's an area of transition for us as well. We've moved out of the Lewiston area, come up the Clearwater River about 60 miles, and a little closer to where the central core of the group here lives. But there's those of us here in the congregation walking through change and transition as well. Then in Gina Jorgensen, they have a major life transition that has essentially fallen into their lap very suddenly and very quickly. To walk into work one day and find out that the company has been sold and acquired by a competitor's company, and there's now a reorganization that's taking place, and essentially the job is gone for both of them.

Now it's a time of reassessment and reevaluation, and frankly asking, where do we go from here? Do you pack up and go somewhere? Do you look for something here? What are the answers? So they're walking through the process there and sorting through what must be done in that way.

Again, that's a major transition in someone's life. I'll pick on our little group here, Tracy and Lynn. Recently, we're married about a year ago now, right, in August, I believe. They've gone through a major transition. There's Lynn living across the country. You have to pack up the things in the house. You combine two households into one. You sell the house on the other end.

There was, I would say, probably a couple of years of going back and forth, visiting one another in the process before they were married, and again, it's a time of transition. It happens to all of us. Ray recently graduated with his doctorate degree in chemistry. Congratulations, Ray. That's a major accomplishment and a lot of hard work, a lot of determination.

I say chemistry because I couldn't describe to you what is the specifics of his study. I read the summary, but I'm not sure I understood it. That's why he's the doctor. It's a time of transition because now there's job offers, right? There's opportunities that open up from this degree, and now Ray and Lauren, all of us would say, stay here. If it was our decision, we'd say stay here. But you know what? They have to evaluate the options set before them as a family and make the best choice for them as they move forward. So for all of us, we either are personally or we know someone personally who's going through a transition. Again, this is a way of life. Life is full of transitions. There's nothing new under the sun in that regard. Tabitha graduated from high school this year. Our daughter, she registered for college. It's transitioning from childhood to adulthood. These are just normal life steps. And there's many others as well. Transitions are sometimes very exciting. They're very hope-filled. There's opportunities set before you that maybe weren't in place when you were in a different position. Doors open up in that way. And frankly, in other cases, some not so much. Some of life's transitions are such, again, that they open these new and exciting opportunities, while other transitions are such that those walking through them actually begin to recognize that their options in the flesh are narrowing. They are not expanding. And yet they are part of the life transitions that we all walk through.

The book of Ecclesiastes describes life's seasons as they come and go. And I went there about six months ago, but I'd like to turn there again today. Ecclesiastes chapter 3. Because I'd like to read that section of Scripture and consider it from the perspective of what is not written. And that might seem a little odd. You know, we read through and see what is written. It talks about the seasons. But as we do that, I want you to think about it from the perspective of what is in between those seasons. Because if you go from one season to another, there is a transition period that takes place. And so Ecclesiastes chapter 3 is very much describing a life of transitions and change. Ecclesiastes chapter 3, beginning in verse 1, here, it says, to everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven. There's a time to be born, a time to die. There's a time to plant, and a time to pluck what is planted. A time to kill, and a time to heal. It's a time to break down, and a time to build up. A time to weep, and a time to laugh, a time to mourn, and a time to dance. Again, these are all life experiences that we encounter in our life. Not at the same time for everyone, or in the same way, but, you know, these don't take place without a process of transitioning from one point to another. Again, it's just simply a matter of this life. Verse 5, it says, a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones. At our house, there was a bunch of gravel that we had brought in, and built up this base layer, so that we could level out a platform, the port of concrete, and set our home on.

So now I'm looking at Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, I'm looking for stones, I'm looking for rock. People nearby that are looking to get rid of that, because the bottom end of that platform that's built up starts to slope down a hill, and I want to put in a retaining wall. So what I'm looking for is somebody that has a pile of rocks that picked all these things up and said, I want these out of my field. For them, it's a time to get rid of them, and I'm looking to acquire them. So again, these things happen at different times, in different ways, for each of us. And what I'm going through may not be the same as what you're transitioning through at any particular time.

Time to cast away stones, a time to gather stones, a time to embrace, a time to refrain from embracing. It's a time to gain, and a time to lose, a time to keep, and a time to throw away. A time to tear, and a time to sow, a time to keep silence, and a time to speak. A time to love, and a time to hate, a time of war, and a time of peace. And oftentimes, I would say, we find ourselves facing one of these seasons of life and asking the question, you know, how did I get here?

I mean, it begins by saying that there's a time to be born and a time to die. We live this life, and so often it seems like it's as a quick breath, and we turn around and we say, how did I get here? Where did the years go? Where did the process go? And yet, what we come to understand is that it didn't just happen, right? These transitions, these seasons, they happened with thoughts and emotions involved, with choices that had to be made along the way, with actions that were taken. And you lead from one season of your life to another.

But again, transitions are filled with so many different experiences and thoughts that come into our mind. Common transition points in our physical experience include things like growing up, moving away from home. You know, the children now are looking to establish life for themselves. They're pursuing careers, they're pursuing jobs, and that's a big step for the children. That's also a big step for the parents as well. And Darla doesn't like this term so much. I've at times called it the second weaning. As in, you know, sometimes the child is weaned, right, when they're a baby, and sometimes there's a second weaning as they're leaving home. But I think that's more you've got to wean the parents to be willing to let the children go and make some of their own decisions as well. Sometimes that can be hard. There's adjustments that get made in life. Sometimes in college, maybe you change a career path and go another direction. Sometimes in the workplace, there's a change as well. Marriage. Major life transition, right? Marriage. Man shall leave his father and mother, cling to his wife, and the two will become one. And so now you take two people who are brought up in two separate households and you bring them together, and it doesn't become half her parents' house and half his parents' house. It becomes their household and their family. And they make decisions on moving forward then for what is best and productive for their family. But it's a major adjustment. Again, it's a transition of life. New babies bring about transitions. Empty nesting, where, again, the children have moved out and now a husband and wife have the house to themselves. And maybe that even changes the relationship a bit. And there's just so many experiences that happen as we move through life. Retirement, financial loss, maybe bankruptcy, financial gain and success, serious illness, disability, age-related issues at times, death of a loved one—all these things bring about a transition in our life. And all these transition points are common to mankind, both in the church and outside the church. And it's something that God has given us all to experience in this life. Now, transitions can be scary and difficult, but they can also be exciting and hope-filled. Again, as new opportunities open up, and honestly, the difference depends on what prompted that transition, what brought that transition about, and what is our mindset and our focus as well as we walk through that transition.

Transitions can be expected or unexpected. They can be welcomed, or, frankly, unwelcome, as they pop up in our lives. Transitions can be chosen by our will or imposed upon us against our will. Our transitions can gradually see them coming from a long ways away, or they can be sudden.

Good morning, good morning, good Monday morning. Pack up your desk. Transitions can be extremely sudden in our lives as well. As human beings, our natural tendency is to resist change in our lives because most oftentimes, change and transition closes one chapter in one set of life experiences, and it opens the door to another chapter. And sometimes those things are difficult to walk through.

It's common to feel upset by transitions that take us away from what is familiar. This is where I've been my whole life, where these are the people that I've known, and it's hard to move from the familiar to the unfamiliar, and that takes quite an adjustment. We can feel disoriented or overwhelmed, disillusioned even, or even angry when it comes to transitions and change.

The way we respond as human beings to things that are set before us that could be perceived even as adversarial is the fight-or-flight response. And we all react differently. Fight or flight, resist or run away, and it can be easy. Again, it's just an emotional process for change, and it can be overwhelming at times.

On the other hand, there's often times where positive results spring forth from transitions, and there are positive transitions that lead to bigger and better things. Change can be exciting because it opens new doors of opportunity that weren't available before, and it gives access to new experiences, new people you can meet, new places. Again, those doors that open that maybe weren't available when you were in the previous location or the previous circumstances. I think about my life and the fact that where I began, which was I was born in Key West, Florida, to where I've ended up and what my life has turned out to be, did not happen apart from a series of transitions all throughout my life.

When I was born and growing up, my dad was in the Navy and my mom was in the church. We moved every year and a half to three years, place to place to place. It was a challenge, and as a kid it was a challenge with school and other things. But moving was an exciting adventure for me as well. I would say primarily I kind of look forward to adventure, seeing new places and doing new things.

One thing that I always set before me, wherever we went, was what fort am I going to build when I get there? I built my first fort as, I would say, probably an eight-nine-year-old. We lived in Jacksonville, Florida. My dad was remodeling the house. And so you rip out all this old lumber and debris from the house, and it was stacked on the burn pile in the back.

I would go drag that off the burn pile and get my dad's box of nails and hammer and build stuff. I built a fort. My first fort was actually something kind of low to the ground that I had to get down and crawl into. I found a treasure. It was the screen door that he'd taken off the house. It had hinges. It could open and close. I put that on the top, kind of like the lid. You could open this screen door and climb in.

I just lay there on my back. You look up at the clouds and the palm trees through that screen door. And it seemed like a good idea until it rained. But that was my first fort. So place to place, wherever we moved in, it was... I'm going to build a fort. My next fort was out in Pacific Beach, Washington, on the Olympic Peninsula. It was kind of up north of ocean shores, if maybe you know where that's at. And it was navy housing right on the bluff overlooking the ocean. And there were pallets and other scraps of wood that I was able to pull together.

And I built a fort right out on the bluff, the ocean breeze blowing in and the waves crashing on the beach right below. I remember I cut a hole in that front piece of plywood. I built out of whatever I could find. I found a car air filter. You remember they used to be round to go around the carburetor, and I put that up on the inside. And that was my window frame.

So I was looking out a port hole, like a boat, over the ocean. But place to place, wherever we went, that for me was kind of an exciting thing that was held before me, like, all right, we're going somewhere new. What am I going to build for a fort there? Last fort I built was up north of Colville.

My parents bought property up on the mountain, and I was probably about 16. And there was a pile of... it was basically like lumber, but somebody had had a sawmill, and they made lumber, so one half was flat, and the other side was rounded, from the outside of the tree. And I drug all those, or a lot of those, up on the hill, and built a framework, and then I nailed all those up to the outside with the rounded end out.

Right? So it looked like a log cabin up on the hill. And then I put a 5 gallon metal can in there, cut a hole in the door, you know, this was going to be my wood stove, and put a little pipe in it, went up through the roof, and I could build a little fire there and go out, and on a snowy day, watch this curl of smoke coming out of the chimney. And, you know, for me, that was an exciting adventure.

And there were other forts in between. But my point is, I couldn't get from where I was, a kid born in Key West, Florida, to marrying a girl from Clarkson, Washington, and end up where I am today, apart from a series of really life-changing transitions along the way. And, honestly, I would say where I am right now, it never entered into my head over the years that I would be a church pastor that wasn't on the horizon, okay, until it basically began into a transition.

But the fact is, God brings us places that we may never expect. But He does so for our good. But at times there's challenges because the transition along the way is sometimes a struggle. But it is a part of the life we live. I want to turn to Deuteronomy 34 and take a look at a major transition for Joshua, as well as the people of Israel. Because transitions happen, and the question sometimes is, how will we respond? What will our actions be? And will we allow God to take us forward in a way that He has opened the door to?

Deuteronomy chapter 34, this takes place as Israel's coming up to the brink of the Promised Land the second time. Their fathers had refused to enter. They've spent 40 years in the wilderness, and now they're preparing once again to enter in. But there's a transition that's going to take place. Deuteronomy chapter 34 and verse 5 says, So Moses, the servant of the Lord, died. And there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the Lord. And he, God, buried him in a valley in the land of Moab, opposite Beth-Pior, that no one knows of his grave to this day.

Nobody would go and take his bones and haul them along and start worshipping or doing anything in that regard. Verse 7, Moses was 120 years old when he died, and his eyes were not dim, nor his natural vigor diminished. And the children of Israel wept for Moses on the plains of Moab 30 days. And so the days of weeping and mourning for Moses ended.

We're talking about a transition that's taking place here, and frankly, a significant one. Moses here, the servant of God, is dead. Right? The man that had brought them out of Egypt by God's hand. The one that had did miraculous signs and wonders. Again, the power of God working through him. The one that had led Israel through the Red Sea. The one that had led them to the mountain.

Again, God directing, but Moses was the one he had instilled to lead, to the mountain to receive the law. The one that had brought them up to the brink of the promised land the first time. The one that had been there with them during their wilderness wanderings for 40 years. This one would no longer shepherd them in their journey to the promised land. And so now there is this point of major transition with the people of Israel and Joshua. Verse 9 says, Now Joshua, the son of Nun, was full of the spirit of wisdom. For Moses has laid his hands on him, so the children of Israel heeded him, and did as the Lord had commanded Moses.

But since then there has not arisen in Israel a prophet like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face, and all signs and wonders which the Lord sent him to do in the land of Egypt, before Pharaoh, before his servants, and in all the land. And by all the mighty power, and all the great terror, which Moses performed in the sight of all Israel. This time frame that Israel is stepping into now represents a transition point in who they would follow as well as where they would go. Because now they're exiting out of wandering in the wilderness, they're going to enter into the Promised Land, take the inheritance that God had set before their fathers, and it was a major transition, a dramatic transition, frankly, in the life that they were going to lead.

As we go forward here in the narrative, I want us to recognize the element that does not change, though, throughout all of this. No matter how major the transition is with God's people, there's an element that does not change, and that transition that does not fade away, that element is the real power behind the ability to successfully walk through transitions in our life today. Joshua chapter 1 verse 1, just across the page, says, After the death of Moses, the servant of the Lord, it came to pass that the Lord spoke to Joshua, the son of Nun, Moses' assistant, saying, Moses, my servant, is dead.

Now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving them, the children of Israel. Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon, I have given you, as I said, to Moses. From the wilderness and this Lebanon, as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites and to the great sea, towards the going down of the sun, shall be your territory. Verse 5, no man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life.

As I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you. And that's the key to understanding and successfully walking through life's transitions. It's the word of God, it's the presence of God by our side. It's God saying, I will never leave you nor forsake you, I will go with you. And the purpose of this transition will be accomplished, because I'm your God, you're my people. I will lead you to where it is I desire you to be.

Verse 6 says, be strong and of good courage. For to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to your fathers to give them. Only be strong and very courageous that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn to it from the right hand nor to the left that you may prosper wherever you go. It's a point of emphasis for us, brother, in that no matter what the transition is we face in life there is this constant. It is the standard of God's word.

It is what he's given us to live by, and it is his presence that must guide our path and give us direction. You know, we shouldn't think that we can charge headlong into a transition and do it in my way. I've got it all figured out. There is the element of yielding to God, allowing him to work in our lives, allowing him to open doors before us that perhaps we didn't even know were options. But he will do so because we look to him.

Verse 8 says, This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Again, it's not going to come by doing it your own way according to your own will and purpose. It is by God in his word guiding and leading you. Verse 9, Have I not commanded you, be strong and of good courage? Do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.

And I really like this phrase, wherever you go. And I say focus on that phrase. Come back to that phrase. No matter what transition in life you're in, wherever you go, be strong because the Lord God is with you wherever you go. Do not fear. Do not be bewildered. Do not be discouraged. Do not be disappointed. Be courageous because the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. And he will open the doors that need to be open before you.

Brethren, this is the confidence that we can all have as those who are in a covenant relationship with God. Where God says, I'm your God, you are my people, I've given you my spirit, and I will see your life course through in a way that I will fulfill my purpose in you. And your purpose for life will be established. Recently, I read a few articles pertaining to coping with major life changes and transitions that people go through.

And something that struck me about that article it seemed like it wasn't just one, it was multiple ones, but they each kind of came back around to the same point eventually, which was as you're going through transitions, there is importance in holding on to the things that are constant in your life. I said, look for those things that are constant that do not change. Even the midst of all the other change and hold on to those, focus on those. Remember the constants, and those will be a comfort and a stability for you through whatever transition you're walking through.

So we all have things in our life that are constants that we could look to. For some it may be spouse or family, whatever it is, ultimately the ultimate constant that we cling to is God. And He is the one who will not leave us or forsake us or, you know, change, change His way, change His word right in the middle of a transition. God is steadfast and He is constant. And these articles just said, when you're going through major change and transition, you need to focus on what does not change, what is constant, and what goes with you throughout these transitions.

I want to look at a few encouraging scriptures in this regard that remind us that God is with us through life seasons, and that we may plan our way, but we need to understand if we yield to God, He is there guiding and directing our steps. Proverbs chapter 3, verse 5 and 6.

Proverbs chapter 3, verse 5 and 6. Again, this is the constant that goes with us. Proverbs 3, verse 5, trust in the Lord with all your heart. It's a relationship. And lean not on your own understanding. It says, in all your ways acknowledge Him. And He shall direct your paths. The marginal footnote in my Bible says, make straight and smooth. As in, acknowledge God, yield your life to Him, and He will make the paths before your feet straight and smooth.

He will level the mountains, He will bring up the valleys, He'll remove the stones. I mean, we have to do our part, and at times there are challenges, but He says here, again, if you're going to lean on your own understanding, there may be a problem, but if you trust in God and acknowledge Him in your ways, that path will be directed by Him, and He will smooth out the bumps for you along the way. Psalm 32 and verse 8 addresses the concept of looking to God's guidance in our life. Psalm 32 and verse 8 These are principles we never want to forget.

Who goes before us? Who is our rear guard? Who sets a hedge about us each and every day? It's God. Psalm 32 and verse 8 says, I will instruct you and teach you in the way that you should go. I will guide you with my eye. And in my mind, I think of that sort of like, God, you know, have you ever...somebody says which way, and you kind of give a little toss of the head in a direction with the eye and go that way?

And I see it as God saying, I will direct you with my eye, but you've got to watch. You've got to watch for what it is He opens before you and where He points you to. New Living Translation says this about verse 8.

Psalm 32 and verse 8, it says, the Lord says, I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. He says, I will advise you and watch over you. But we have to be tuned into Him, right? That's the key. We have to have that relationship. Be willing to respond when He intervenes on our behalf. Verse 9 says, do not be like the horse or the mule, which have no understanding which must be harnessed with a bit and bridle, else they will not come near you.

You know, we need to watch for God's gentle cues. And that would come by His Holy Spirit. You know, if we can calm our spirit and learn to listen to God and the direction and the cues that He gives us. You know, it's saying, don't be like a horse that has to have a bit put in their mouth and a bridle.

Darla trains horses. And, you know, she starts with a bit and a bridle. But as this training progresses, she works on certain cues. There's leg cues. You start putting pressure with your leg on the outside of the horse's body. Maybe you start to lean your weight one way or the other a little bit. And pretty soon, when that horse is well trained enough, you could just let go of the reins and let the horse walk. And you could direct the horse just with subtle little leg cues. And God is saying, you know, you be that way. You know, let me direct your steps. Don't make me basically put a bridle on you and a bit in your mouth and have to take the rain and yank your head around to get you going in the right direction.

And look to him and yield to him. God opens doors and He closes doors as well. Proverbs 16 and verse 9. Proverbs 16 and verse 9. It says, a man's heart plans his way. I know where I'm going and I know how I'm going to get there. And, you know, stay out of my way. I've got it all figured out.

A man's heart plans his way. It says, but the Lord directs his steps. So sometimes we have a course of action that we've determined for ourselves. We said, here is the plan, here is the course, here is how it's going to happen and we're determined that it will be so. But God in His mercy at times takes the opportunity to guide us in a different direction. Perhaps somewhere that wasn't even on the radar. Somewhere better than where we were before. I don't know how many times I've talked to people or Darla and I have talked to people over time.

One of her questions she likes to ask when we meet new couples is, how did you meet? Husband and wife, how did you meet? How did you get together? She likes to hear the story.

I don't know how many times I've heard it recounted, well, you know, I was just passing through heading someplace else and that was 20 years ago. Right? My truck broke down. I went to church and I met this gal. Or whatever it might have been but God had plans and it was like I was going over here and God in His mercy directed me over here.

And I found what is the source of my of my life, the framework of my life as it is today by what I thought was a bump in the road but God had plans. So I'm just saying when we're going through one of life's transitions points do make your plans. We need to make plans. Do set goals. But don't be so rigid in your plans and your goals that you don't allow for where else God might be leading you.

Be flexible enough to allow Him to direct your steps along the way. Philippians chapter 4, verse 4. Philippians chapter 4. Again, what should our focus be during times of transition? Philippians 4 and verse 4. Rejoice in the Lord always. Again, I will say rejoice. Let your gentleness be known by all men. The Lord is at hand. Be anxious for nothing. Well, that's easy for Paul to say, right? Be anxious for nothing. What did he know about it? Well, shipwrecked. Night and day in the deep. Three times forty stripes minus one.

Apparel of countrymen and apparel of robbers, you know. But he says, Be anxious for nothing. Verse 6. But in everything, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

So, brethren, it's easy to become anxious during times of transition, because you begin to look down the road and wonder, how is this all going to work out?

Especially if you don't know what the destination is exactly. You know, maybe all you know is there's a change coming, there's a transition, but where is this going to lead? I don't know. And it's easy to become anxious and start to fret and worry over those things. But Paul says that we really need to do, in these cases, to turn these things over to God.

In prayer, on our knees, and then let go of the anxious care. We still do our part, we still make plans, but we do so yielding to God, seeking for Him to direct our steps, and looking to Him to open the doors that need to be opened. About three years ago now, when the mudslide came running down the hill and displaced us from our home, we started going, well, what was this about?

Where are we going from here? How is this all going to work out? And you might even start to ask questions like, where was God? He could have stopped the mudslide, right? That's no big deal from Him. But when I took a hike up the hill, when the mudslide was fresh, it's all grown up with vegetation like a jungle now, but you walk up to the top of the hill and you look down the throat of the mudslide and recognize, here's where it started, there's the house down below, and the fact that it slid at an angle and just missed the house to where the news reporter was out there, and he had one hand on the house and one hand on the debris field, right?

And God was there. And yet, why would He allow that to happen? Well, He opened, certainly in our lives, doors of opportunity that brought us along and it basically took a year and a half to be established back on our place, and we're grateful to be there. And the blessing, one of the greatest blessings we feel at this time is the home that we have that allows us to entertain, have people in the church over, and actually serves our purposes in the ministry a lot better than the 1910 shack that we had remodeled.

But God is there, and we need to know that He is there even if we don't fully understand. There were times of anxiety but they were short-lived because we just had to remind ourselves, if I ever started feeling anxious, I'd just walk over the top of that hill and look at the mudslide and go, God's always been here. And we just have to allow His process to be worked out in our lives. So, hold on to the constant, the things that are constant in your life when you face transitions. I was visiting with Walt and Arlene Salmon this last week, and in the course of discussion, Arlene said something similar to me because the point is the constant in our life is God.

Right? And we look to Him, we hold on to Him, and Arlene said, she said, you have to go back to what you know. And the source of the conversation was her declining health and the transition that she is in in life right now, and she, you know, evaluating these things, she said, you know what, you have to go back to what you know. And I thought about that all week. That's just stuck in my head and rolled over and over, and it's actually part of the inspiration for the source of this message.

You have to go back to what you know. And I took that to mean that in the midst of the hardest transition that she's walked through in this life, she's focusing her mind on what is constant, on what she knows is the truth of God, on what she knows is the promises of God, and she's focused her mind on the things that bring hope and confidence and inner peace, even walking through trial and struggle.

And she just simply said, you know, you have to come back to what you know. So what do we know? You know, as God's people, what do we know? As we're going through transitions in life, brethren, what do we know for absolutely certain? Well, we know that God is on his throne, don't we? And we know that God has a divine purpose for our life, and that purpose will be fulfilled. We know that God is directing our steps. We know that God's love for us is absolute, that it is ongoing, that it is immovable.

We know that God's kingdom is real. We know that His plan and purpose for us to be in His kingdom is real, and He'll bring us to where we need to be by His loving hand as we yield to Him so that we would be a part of His kingdom one day. We know these things. We know that all things work together for the good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

Romans 8, verse 28. And so I would say, when we're going through life's transitions, and we don't know why, go back to Romans 8, 28. If we don't know where, or how this is going to work out, or where this is going to lead, or God, what in the world do you have going on in my life?

What is this transition about? Romans 8, verse 28. Go back to it time and time again. We know all things work together for the good, to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. And I would say, even when we don't understand, it doesn't change what God is doing and His purpose for us.

So, it's the things that we know to be true that give us the inner peace of mind, even during the difficult trials and transitions. We have to go back, as Arlene said, to the things that we know, rely on those things, and know that God will see us through. And again, not every transition, many are hopeful. Many transitions are, here's a new door of opportunity that has opened up. So, I'm not trying to make it a negative thing, but this is something that applies to both positive transitions and transitions of struggle. We always have to move forward with what we know and who we know, what He has called us to be.

So, we begin to wrap up. I want to consider very briefly, and I say briefly, you may have to write quickly, seven points on what we should all keep in mind as we walk through transitions. So, I'll hopefully get through these seven points in about ten minutes and put the bow on it here.

But, just keep these in mind as we walk through seasons of life, those things we saw in Ecclesiastes chapter 3. Keep these things in mind no matter what our transition might be. Hopefully, it will help make the process a little bit smoother along the way. Point number one, when going through transitions, we've covered this already. Hold on to the things that are constant in your life. Hold on to the things that are constant. When it seems like everything around you is in a state of flux, there is stability, and there is comfort in reminding yourself about the things that do remain constant.

The things that do not change. And, of course, ultimately that comes down to God, Jesus Christ, and the Word of God. But then, out from that as well, in many of our lives, that comes down to spouse and family, many other concrete things that do not change for us.

Focus on what remains consistent as you go through transition. Second point on walking through transitions, except the fact that change is a natural part of life. Except the fact that change is a natural part of life. You may not be seeking change right now, but when it finds you, take heart in the fact that nobody's life stands completely still. That change is a natural part of the human condition for all of us.

Again, you go back to Ecclesiastes 3 and the seasons of life that all of us walk through. Without change, we can become stuck in a rut. And, you know, maybe it's comfortable to be in a rut. You get in a rut.

I've driven on logging roads before these deep ruts, right? You can just let go of the steering wheel and just kind of idle along and the vehicle stays in that rut. But there's not a lot happening in that rut. And if life is stuck in a rut, it doesn't allow for certain growth opportunities and experiences, then that may stretch our potential to greater heights. Sometimes God allows us to kind of get bucked out of the rut and go in another direction because there are certain things that He's going to allow us to grow in and experience that maybe we're not going to experience kind of in our narrow focus of life's good right here along the way.

And God knows. He knows what those things are. Point 3, be willing to acknowledge your feelings about the transition.

It's normal to have an emotional response to change. You might feel angry, you might feel scared, you might feel frustrated on one hand, or maybe on the other hand you feel happy and excited. And this is an adventure and I'm all in. Or you might walk through all of those range of emotions that are in the same transition. This is scary and this is exciting all at the same time.

But these emotions are real. Be willing to acknowledge your feelings. Don't stuff them down inside. Allow yourself to experience them at a measured level. Don't be overrun or governed by your feelings, but acknowledge that as part of the process and talk about them. And that leads to point 4, rely on a support network. Going through times of transition, rely on a support network.

Studies have shown that a strong support network is crucial in helping us deal with stress and change. So talk to people about what you're going through and what you're feeling about what the options are. We have family, we have friends, we have church family. The Bible says when one suffers, we all suffer. And when one rejoices, we all rejoice together. And a congregation of this size we're all in this together.

And we're family. When something happens to one, it's different for the rest of us, but it does affect us all. And we want to be a support in any way that we can. So rely on that support network. Of course, the greatest support network is God. God the Father, Jesus Christ, at His right hand. Don't neglect to get on your knees before them. I wouldn't want to walk through any transition apart from God.

Life's tough enough as it is to go it alone. We need God by our side. So again, rely on that support in that network. Point five in life transitions. Take transitions one day at a time, one step at a time. You might be facing a major transition and change, and it can be easy to become overwhelmed or fearful by focusing too much on what the future might hold.

As in, what if? We can ask ourselves these questions. What if this or what if that? Or what if this happens or that happens? And it can very easily become overwhelming, especially if this transition has suddenly come upon you really without a clear path or direction forward.

Instead of worrying about what the future holds, focus on where you are today and the priorities of today taking one step at a time. That's sort of been my motto and reflection is one step at a time. That was drilled in my head during the Challenger programs that I was on. You're hiking through the mountains or up a steep train and the pack on your back and you feel like, alright, I'm done.

And the point is you can take one more step. Once you've taken that step, you can take one more step. And eventually you get across that obstacle, but it's one step at a time. And life's transitions very much are that way. Matthew 6 and verse 34 says, do not worry about tomorrow. For tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. So if you can accept where you're at today and then take things one step at a time, this is today. This is what I'm dealing with today. Let's focus on today. When you come to tomorrow, take tomorrow's step.

When you face tomorrow. But if we can do that one step at a time, then the sense of being overwhelmed may eventually fade away. And in fact, you may begin to actually embrace the transition as a positive experience. Again, if you can kind of bring in the feeling of being overwhelmed by it, if you can set small goals and take one step at a time, you may begin to embrace that as a positive experience. Point 6. Seems like a no-brainer. Take care of your health. If you're going through a transition, take care of your health. Because the healthier you are, the better you're going to cope with the emotional, the mental, the physical, the spiritual stress that comes with life's changes.

It means eating healthy, getting exercise, getting sleep, praying, drawing close to God. Work on your physical, emotional, and spiritual health. And it will help the transition process be so much smoother. And you're going to feel better about your circumstances if you just simply, physically, are feeling better. And the seventh, the final point I have for you today on life's transitions is look for the positives in your transition. Look for the positives. I talked about the fact when I was a kid, and every time we were going to move, I would think about all right, what am I going to build for a fort?

Where's my fort going to be? Once it was on the beach, practically. Another time it was up in the woods. And I would think about that, and would have goals that I would look forward to about the transition when it was completed. And it gave me inspiration because, honestly, as a kid, it was hard to move every year and a half to three years. Multiple schools. You just start getting close to friends, and you move again. So you have to look for the positives. Many of life's transitions are positive, and they lead to better things.

Better opportunities, better jobs, better location for your family, perhaps. Perhaps better opportunities for your children. These opportunities in these doors that open, oftentimes, that we step through are positive. Take time to seek out those exciting aspects of change and embrace them. Talk about the positive things. Think about them. Make plans with your spouse about the positive aspects of what's happening, the next step in your life. Make plans with your children. Talk about them. If it's a relocation or a move, focus on what's exciting or positive or an adventure you can have when you get where you're going.

What do you want to see when we get there? What do you want to do? Look for the positives in your transition, and keep that vision burning in your mind, and it will strengthen you along the way. Brethren, we live in a world of transitions.

And we live lives of transitions as well as part of being a human being. And some transitions are fun, they're exciting, they lead to better things. While some transitions are the greatest challenge we may have ever faced in this life. Isaiah 43, verse 2-3, again, this describes God's loving care of His people through times of transition. Isaiah 43, verse 2-3, God says, When you pass through the waters, I will be with you. And through the rivers they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you. And notice why, for I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.

And God says, I will never leave you nor forsake you. So, brethren, this is the loving God that we worship, and He will take us to the place that He desires us to be for His good purpose in our life. And it is the place that we will need to be. So, no matter what life's transitions may be, never attempt to walk through this life apart from God. Draw near to Him, study and put into practice His words. And you will never walk alone.