On Transitions
The month of January was a strange one for me.
Back in December, after ten years of serving an incredible community and congregation, I said “yes” to another opportunity. My family and I are moving out to the west coast. It’s a completely new adventure for us, fraught with challenge and change and possibility.
What breaks my heart is the relationships and opportunities that I am leaving behind. In ten years, I have built up some trust with a variety of partners. That trust is hard to earn in some settings. Ministry is really slow most days, but when you can build that trust and buy-in, it is amazing what can be done to support neighbors and your larger community.
You have to show up.
You have to listen.
You have to wait a bit.
To start over… well, it’s frightening, but it is also an opportunity we couldn’t say no to. So you mix all that up and there you end up in a sense of “call” – what you cannot not do, as a mentor of mine once said.
Trust will take time to earn in the new setting. It may not come. And it may.
January was emotionally draining. My body responded by telling me I needed to rest. I pay attention to my body a lot these days. There is wisdom there.
And suddenly, I feel an openness to connecting with these new folks and learning their stories. I am open. What a gift.
Such is the gift of transition. God is in it. Thanks be to God.