Over the past few months, I have had to learn how to transition well and learn how to wait. For the first time in my life, I didn’t have school starting in the fall. I struggled to find my purpose and honestly didn’t know what to do with myself. I was sad to not be going back to UMHB and felt a deep desire for the community that I had there. During this time God has taught me a lot about finding comfort and friendship in Him. There are 3 main themes that God has been teaching me:
1. It’s okay to mourn the end of a chapter
The beginning of the new school year hit me like a brick wall. With the end of summer, I could no longer pretend this year was like all the others. I wouldn’t be living at school with all of my friends or going to events and socials around campus. I was filled with a mix of emotions about my friends starting the new semester without me. I wanted to go back so bad but I knew that chapter of my life had ended. God was so gracious in helping me through the grief of moving on, and through that, I was able to see how much God had blessed me. I now realize that the reason it was so hard for me to let go of the past was because of how many good things God had given me during that time. I know that God is faithful to do the same in my future.
2. Walk well in the interim and rest in the Lord
One thing that I have put a lot of focus on during this in-between time is my time alone with the Lord. I felt that it had gotten very dry and routine, it was just another thing I had to do rather than a time to engage with the Lord. I started to really think about what I was reading in my devotional and bible every morning and include different aspects in it. I started journaling prayers while in nature, a place where I feel God more deeply, sitting alone and listening to the words of worship music, and just contemplating the word of God. These small changes helped me to feel more connected to what God was saying to me and be more present with Him.
3. Prepare for your next journey
Use your transition as a time to let God prepare you for the next step. Allow Him to work within you, shaping you to look more like Christ. And lastly, get excited! Transitions, though sometimes scary, can be a lot of fun. So don’t try to rush from one thing to the next, enjoy the transition and look forward to the next step.