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Transitions
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God which transcends all understanding, will guard your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-8 NIV).
According to William Bridges, author of the bestseller, Transitions, it’s not the changes that do you in, it’s the transitions. When you think about it for a moment, you realize he’s right. Change and transition are not the same. Whereas change is situational (new job, new home, new rules), transition is psychological. Likewise, whereas change is external, transition is internal. To sum it up, we might say transition is the mental process through which we progress to come to terms with changes.
Transitions are a part of life no matter what age we are. Some of these times are exciting and fulfilling while others are filled with fear and apprehension. We can embrace these times of transition, or we can attempt to escape them through busyness, denial, or a multitude of other ingenious methods. However in the end, we still must move through the time of transition if we are to keep our mental and spiritual balance.
At the end of June, I will be completing 35 years of pastoral ministry and moving into another stage of life called “semi-retirement.” To make this important change, I will need to transition from full-time pastoral ministry to a different pace of life. I have agreed to work part-time until my successor is hired.
I have been asked by many people, “So what are you going to do?” For the present time, we will stay in Cheyenne, spend time with family, travel, and do some of the things that we haven’t had time to do. However, the reality is that we will be journeying between the old reality and the new.
Change and endings go hand in hand. I am looking forward to not being on call 24/7 and keeping up with the full-time pace of ministry in the Region.
I have shared some of my personal thoughts about the change I am facing and the transition I will be making. You may be facing some major changes in your life too. Perhaps it is a job promotion, the birth of your first child, a move to another part of the country, deterioration of health, marriage, or the loss of a spouse or a myriad of other changes. You fill in the blank. In order for us to come to terms with new situations, we need to work through the psychological process of letting go. Face the ending. Accept the changes. The paradox is true: transition starts with an ending.
In all of these changes and transitions, let’s accept the invitation to present our requests to God so that we may experience the peace that can be ours through Jesus Christ. This peace will enable us to end what used to be so that we can begin something new.
Prayer: Our God, thank you for walking with us each step of our journey. When we experience endings, help us to let go of the old so that we can experience your peace in the new. Guard our hearts and minds through Christ Jesus in whose name we pray. Amen
Wayne Dvirnak
Ministry and Mission Coach
Northern Front Range
and Wyoming Clusters
Cheyenne, WY |
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