I recently made a long drive from Ohio to Washington D.C. and I need to be honest with you; it was the ugliest drive I've ever seen. It was like God had reached down and painted the entire landscape of the nation gray. There was no sun, there were no clouds, just a gray back drop to the country side that was quite forgettable. The trees had no leaves, there was no evidence of anything that could have even possibly bloomed. There were piles of old snow, riddled with dirt and grime.
It was more than just the way it looked, it even felt depressing. Like every person I met was tired of the way mother nature had gripped them over the winter and had forgotten that Spring was just around the corner. When I pulled into gas stations no one wanted to make eye contact as if they were embarrassed by the way their home looked during this depressing season.
I realized something while going through the hills of Pennsylvania; mother nature was in transition. Winter had not yet completely let go of her grasp and Spring was showing up late to the party. As a nation we were stuck waiting for the next move.
At that moment the way I thought about the drive changed. It was no longer about where I was, rather about where I was going. I could now relate to mother nature because I've experienced transition too, and there is nothing pretty about it. I think the reason transition is so hard because it requires us to grow. It requires me to let go of what I know and embrace something completely different. To trust that God will ensure the next season shows up. In my marriage transition looks like the two of us sitting down and deciding what the new normal needs to be, then walking through the steps to actually see it through. It reminds me that I not only need to have faith in God, but faith in my spouse that she will stick with me through the ugly parts of the drive.
The reality is transition may not be pretty, but it is always necessary. Unless we are willing to go through the gray moments in our own life we can never fully experience the growth God has in store for us.
What transition are you currently going through?
Have you talked to your spouse about the transition? How would life look different if you did?
How can you embrace the transition to ensure growth?
Sit down with your spouse and talk about where you are as well as where you want to go.