transition

“Behold I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth;

Do you not perceive it and know it, and will you not give heed to it?

I will even make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” Isaiah 43:19

Yay! New beginnings. Aren’t they just thrilling? Actually, I’m not generally a fan of change, so “new beginnings” can cause no small amount of angst in me. In fact, just the phrase “new beginnings” can somewhat irritate me. Is there such a thing as an “old” beginning? Do we have to emphasize the newness? I think I’ll coin the phrase “comfortable beginnings” to help people like me ease into this whole thing… 😉

However, since my last posting in August, when I was somewhat bemoaning but also trying to “trust” in the midst of transitions in my life, God has shown me in so many ways that He’s with me in these new places. Not only has it been a new school year with all new subjects to tackle, but it’s also been a very different fall than my previous 15 years of homeschooling, as both of my older students have left for college away from home. I took on a few new leadership positions on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays (what was I thinking?), and my remaining student, Joy, took on a new soccer team, new driving privileges, and a new co-op for outsourced classes.

I have to say — some of the best parts of these “new beginnings” have been the awesome people I’ve met on our new pathways. It’s been great to form new friendships and also to be stretched in ways that are not normally “comfortable” for me. I had to speak one morning in front of about 150 women in one of my new roles (maybe not a big deal for you, but a huge, panic-stricken event for me!). It went well, and the prayers before and the encouragement I received after from ladies that I hadn’t even known before this fall were monumental. Step out — you can do that new thing, too! And, most importantly, God has promised to be with you!

Here’s an idea for ya’: grab hold of a trustworthy friend who has been through a few “new beginnings” as well. (We are privileged to live in an area with many military families, and I have tremendous respect and honor for these dear ones who have moved time and time again — sometimes every year.) Reach out to them, and learn from them, too!

Be encouraged. God has promised to “make a way in the wilderness” for you. Also, those “rivers in the desert” will not just be your tears in the dry, desert/deserted areas of your life — although it feels like it at times. You will make it through this!

Remember God’s good track record. Celebrate His faithfulness today. Trust Him for tomorrow’s adventures.

Signing off until next time,

Lisa 🙂

Remember. Celebrate. Trust.

RVR Camp in Manchester, MD

View from the covered bridge at RVR Camp in Manchester, MD

Beverly, WV

Transition. It’s that time they warn you about in childbirth classes that is the most painful and intense — the part where you just may turn to your husband and yell some expletives. (Thankfully I didn’t do that, but I recall fearing the possibility!) If I remember correctly, it is also the stage RIGHT BEFORE you deliver an amazing miracle and look into the face of the reason for all this pain. It’s totally worth it, but you feel like you just may die in the process…

That’s a pretty accurate illustration of how I’m feeling at the moment, after “delivering” our middle son to his first year of college over the weekend. I’m in pain, yet I know that we will both be looking into the “face” of something beautiful down the road.

Perhaps you’re there, too? Facing a new job. Facing a new school year. Facing the future without that loved one by your side.

First, let me offer a picture that I snapped a few weeks ago. One thing I love about this beautiful vista is that it can serve as an illustration of life. Zoom in, if you’re able, and check out that “body of water” in the middle. Yep. It’s a sewer. When I was sitting in that nearby spot, doing some morning devotions and taking in the majesty of it all, I laughed out loud that right in the middle of my beautiful shot was some…umm…stuff. And as we all travel from here to there, there will be some “not-so-pretty” parts, no doubt.

Beverly, West Virginia

However, here’s some encouragement: God has promised to be with you. “I have chosen you and not rejected you. {Even if it feels like it…} Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:9b-10

Hang in there, friend. You will survive the transition. Pray for strength. Grab a few friends to come alongside you. Try not to yell expletives at them, but if they’re your buddies, they’ll understand. 🙂 And, get ready for a beautiful “face” on the other side of it all.

Remember. Celebrate. Trust. It’s how we get from here to there…

Blessings in abundance,

Lisa

P.S. ~ Of course I must share a few pics from our most recent transition. And, in just a few days, we’ll get to do it all again with my oldest son! Ugh. “Sewer water.”