We have all been there. You are not exactly where you want to be, but you are very far from where you started. It’s such an interesting place and most of us find ourselves there – more often than not. Let's talk about it.
Transitional seasons truly are what you make it. In this season, I have experienced so much favor and there is no denying it. In that same breath, I have been stretched and challenged in ways I haven’t been prior. I put way too much on my plate and was trying to ‘effectively’ handle each of the moving parts and quickly became a mess. I was sucking all of the joy I was meant to experience and felt stress going into each day. Seriously, my face has been breaking out nonstop for 10 weeks and I can’t seem to get a lid on it (open to suggestions). I say this to say, there is nothing worse than handling transitional seasons all by yourself. Yes – you are experiencing favor and joy or maybe you are experiencing sadness and hopelessness, either way, you are not meant to go through it alone.
Per my last entry, I shared that I got into the Masters of Arts in Education program at Teachers College, Columbia University; so, I will be packing up again and moving away from my hometown. Honestly, moves are never easy. Although, I am not moving out of the country again (atleast for now), moving up north from the south, will still be a huge culture shock for me. Leaving your hometown in itself is a huge step. So huge that most millennials prefer staying in place rather than moving away from all they have ever known, which I completely understand. However, for me, I noticed I grew the most when I do take the plunge and venture into the unknown...
Though, I know where I will be moving, I am still walking into an unknown season where I don’t really know how things would look or feel like. At first, this was a point of fear. Fearing what if I don’t find a community, what if I don’t excel as an educator, what if I hate this new city, what if I get burned out quickly, what if I get lonely, etc etc.. if you let your mind run free, I promise it’ll always take you to worst case scenario. Whew.
But little by little, I learned I cannot fear seasons of transition. The best you can do is prepare on your behalf and let the Lord lead as He wills. In seasons of transition, we are tested and stretched by new circumstances and relationships, and it can be tempting to look back and cling to the certainty and comfort of the last season... but even this would get uncomfortable after a while. You know it’s time to transition once you start feeling this way. And when you do, trust that the Lord will move with you, He will never forsake you and trusting His work and timing is all you really have to do. Don’t be hard on yourself if you aren’t performing or growing in ways you thought you would be. I have several mentors and they each speak similar things to me. And it’s always along the lines of…you will never be a completed masterpiece and that is okay. No one is looking for perfection. Just keep going. If something is working, stick to it. If it is not, change it up. But the last thing you should do is poop on yourself for not having certain things figured out (excuse the language, I couldn’t think of a better word).
So many of us say “I’m not where I want to be” or “I know my next season will be mine” or you can feel and taste your victory, but you are completely absent-minded of the steps it’ll take to get there… either way, by refusing to yield to the journey and refusing to yield to the process in the seasons of transition, you can take yourself out of the race. There’s nothing worse than having all of these dreams and goals, but not having your inner man strong enough to take you through the process. I have found that nothing good comes easy and things are easier to endure when you know it’ll produce much fruit.
So, what I am saying is, keep going! You have to find the gold in every season you are in. Yesterday in class, a classmate said something that stuck to me. “Every day won’t be good, but you can find the good in every day”. In other words, make the very intentional choice of: having the right perspective, trust that God’s leadership is so good and know He will complete His work in your life.
And honestly, you have to look outside of yourself and realize you are exactly where you prayed to be, way back then. Aren't you?!
Until next timeeee ✨✌🏾
