Passing Through Transition: Days to Years

Reading Psalm 105 had me pondering and reflecting on the Hebrew people’s last days in Egypt and what the Lord had done for them. Whether or not the Hebrew people believed it completely or even if they understood all that was happening, they did though prepare for their exodus out of Egypt. The Egyptian Pharaoh drove out the Hebrew people from Egypt. The Hebrew meaning for “drove out” is herding them towards redemption. The all-knowing Lord seeing the big picture for His people used Pharaoh to do His bidding by helping to herd the Hebrew people from slavery and oppression towards redemption and life.

What should have only taken days to arrive to the Promised Land ended up taking 40 years. So, why such a long journey? God used those 40 years to bring about transformation in the lives of His chosen people for them to be His people and He to be their God. Transition comes from within us, and it takes time to process, to grieve the losses, be equipped with new tools, understanding, and wisdom for the new springs of new normal to arise and come to fruition.

The wilderness did not come without its grumblings and murmurings and complaints all along the way. We read that the Hebrew people were hungry and thirsty. They complained how better it was back in Egypt than being in the desert and they wanted to go back. But what the wilderness does is to help strip off and release the old garments, to throw away the old ways of doing things, to take off the old lens of perceiving things in order to make room for the new. This takes time. It is hard. And yet, so often, we are like the Hebrew people, wanting to go back to what was known and familiar.

The Hebrew people had Moses, Aaron, and Joshua to encourage and support them all along the journey towards the Promised Land. They also had the presence of the Lord with them always, a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night to be their anchor in the midst of the change and transition. Who are your anchors in the midst of change and transition? What helps you to keep on keeping on and not wishing or desiring the old familiar ways?

If you are looking for a community, join me at Are We There Yet? Navigating Re-Entry.

Comments

October Newsletter

SHANNON’S CORNER The Saga Continues… The trip to Malaysia consisted of a two-day spiritual retreat with the theme of ‘Come Away With Me’ and a six-day conference with about 230 missionaries who serve in some aspect of translating the Scriptures. One of the many people who I met was a missionary who served in Cameroon for many years and now is in a new role. As he was sharing, most his words were very negative and depressive. I encouraged him to sign up for a time of prayer and care. At the end of the retreat, this missionary shared with me that he did have a session and I could see that his whole countenance changed, and he was hopeful. His new word he used to describe where he was now is ‘delightful.’ Our time there was creating a safe space for these missionaries to have a place to share what they are struggling with and to connect with Jesus. One missionary is at a crossroads in her life. Another finds himself in the midst of betrayal. A missionary is in a new role as a caregi...

September Newsletter

SHANNON’S CORNER Connect. Nurture. Grow. Thank you for your faithfulness in praying for this ministry. Each debrief is a sacred invitation—a chance to step into someone’s story, even if only for a short stretch of the journey. It feels a bit like being allowed to glimpse a painting still in progress. We may not yet see the final picture, but we trust the One who promises to complete the good work He has begun until the day of Christ Jesus (Phil. 1:6). Recently, in an online debrief, the missionary shared: “ I am in a much better place since our initial meeting. Taking the time to process my lived experience overseas and to grieve the losses, I now feel I have the capacity to move forward here in my new season of life. ” We also had the joy of walking alongside three third culture children. To see their eyes light up as their stories were received with understanding and care was priceless. These children do not often have many who truly grasp their unique li...

June Newsletter

SHANNON’S CORNER Connect. Nurture. Grow. Building connection and trust are important in any relationship and especially when wanting to create a safe place for people to share and process their stories. Sometimes with kids and teens it can take a bit of time to foster those connections and trust. A question that is implied is, “Are you safe to share my story with?” Often it is through play these connections are built. Both families who I debriefed serve in Uganda, they serve with different organizations in the capital of Kampala, and both families are in transition. The one sibling group were ages 3, 6, and 8 years old and as I worked with them, I was able to apply some of the principles I learned in play processing. The other sibling group were ages 5, 7, 13, and 14 years old which was a bit of a challenge for me with the large age span. The main thing for all of them was saying goodbye to friends who have come and gone while they were the ones “left behind”, and for the one sib...

Shannon's Corner

Search This Blog