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Times of Transition
by Karin Paparelli
When I think of the word transition I immediately think
of childbirth. I suppose those memories of labor haven't faded far enough
away yet. (For you gentlemen reading this, you may want to picture shifting
the gears of a manual transmission). In childbirth, the stage known as
transition comes after hard labor but before pushing and delivery of the
baby. Many times it is this period in which the laboring woman has a brief
time of rest, as her body prepares for the final stages of labor. Sometimes
she may even drift in and out of sleep during transition, especially if
she has labored hard for many hours.
With my last child I experienced this rest and I actually did fall asleep.
Although it only lasted about fifteen minutes, it felt wonderful to have
this respite after laboring all night. It gave my body that extra boost
I needed to move into the next, more rigorous stage of delivery. It was
so amazing to me to be in such peace in the midst of such intensity. Even
more amazing was looking back with hindsight to see how crucial it was
for me to have that rest, as the remainder of that labor took an unexpected
turn and we encountered several complications. At home with my husband
, a midwife and the Lord, without the option of medication, that rest
during transition equipped me to endure for several more hours of challenging
labor. In the end all was well both mom and baby had survived (however,
I don't know if Tony ever fully recovered from that experience!)
So what's this all about ? It's about transitions. Moving from one stage
to another. It is often a time mixed with anticipation for the future
and thoughts that linger in woeful reminiscing of the past. The present
seems to fade from sight as you drift from past to future over and over
again. Transition is that space in time between two chapters in a novel,
the inter-testament time between Malachi and Matthew. It comes before
the change, it comes during the change and there is no way to avoid it.
So what shall we do when it comes to us? How can we embrace that shift
in the gears so we hardly feel the release of the clutch or the acceleration
of the engine? What makes transitions smooth ?
I've been thinking a lot about transitions lately. For me it's a hard
issue. I love people and I always have. I suppose I'm what you'd call
a people person. And as such I find it very difficult to transition in
and out of people's lives. I'm the one who still sends Christmas cards
years after we've worked together. I still visit with neighbors from the
old neighborhood even though I moved from there when I was fifteen. You
get the picture. What's interesting is that I love most changes. I really
do like the excitement that comes with change. I see life as a grand adventure.
And it is this aspect that allows me to say yes when the Lord brings a
change my way.
But even as you say yes to change, that is only the beginning. It may
take much longer than you imagined for the transition to be complete.
It is then that we need to ask for a double portion of patience and wisdom.
It is during this time of positioning that the tempter, that crafty devil,
will press in to divert your focus. He may prey upon your impatience,
or upon your pride or lack of grace. Which is all the more reason to stay
quiet before the Lord until this time has passed. If we are not careful
we may rush ahead out of His pefect time or we may let fear keep us from
moving at all and thereby miss His call.
We will each face transitions of many kinds in our lives. It is usually
a period when you are moving from comfort to discomfort, from the familiar
to the unknown, from a plateau to an arduous climb. What I've found is
that we can have peace in the transition. This can be our time of rest
and reassurance. Just as in childbirth, the Lord knows the rest we need
to be equipped to handle what is coming, He will provide us with a respite
to catch our breath and build up our strength to be ready for the next
stage. And just as in childbirth, when it is all over, one era has ended
and another has just begun and somehow you never really recall the pain
of labor or even what life was like before that precious child of yours
arrived!
Hold on my friends, take a breath and gather your strength for the best
is yet to come.
May you walk in His grace. Thy kingdom come!
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