Transitioning...to 47 // M-Note 9.7.24

Last weekend was my 47th birthday (thanks to all of you for the birthday wishes!). After a busy month of moving kids around and getting them settled in new places, we are falling into a new routine here at the Miofsky house. It is quieter and, well, just different. I find myself missing the way it used to be, and not yet adapted to the way it will be. If I am not careful, it is easy to focus on the past and what is lost. Transitions can be like that.

You might be in transition, as well. Something old is changing or ending. Maybe like us, your family is changing. Maybe you are just beginning a relationship, or one is ending. Maybe you are starting at a new school or graduating from one, starting a career, or changing one. Transitions, even good ones, can be tough because one thing is ending but what is new has not yet fully been revealed. We are sort of stuck in between what used to be, and what will be.

In his letter to Christians in transition, John says,

"Dear friends, now we are God’s children, and it hasn’t yet appeared what we will be. We know that when he appears we will be like him because we’ll see him as he is." - 1 John 3.2

Here, John speaks to the feelings many of us have when we are in transition. We are no longer something old, but what we will be has not yet been revealed. Yet, John tells us that there are a few things we can count on. We are God’s children, and because of that, we can know that God has something prepared for us. We just must keep moving forward and practice patience as we wait to see what will appear.

For me, this means resisting the temptation to focus on what used to be and instead begin envisioning, planning for, and preparing for the season that is unfolding. Change can be seen as scary and dangerous, something to be resisted. Or, change can be seen as an opportunity for something new, and therefore welcomed.  Much like our faith in God, change requires a faith that something new is emerging for us, even if we can’t see it yet. For my part, I am excited about this new season and eager to see what these transitions will mean for me. If you are in transition as well, I hope you see it as an opportunity to change, learn, and grow – and something to be welcomed.

Peace,
Matt

P.S. This weekend, I am starting a new series called Worth Sharing. In this week’s sermon, I will tell a really cool story about what can happen when we share an invitation with someone else. This is a perfect time to invite someone in your life to join you at The Gathering. You can share the invite with them on social media or hand out one of those invitation cards you received last weekend. Don’t just tell someone about church, invite them to come with you! You may be surprised at what it can lead to!