MEAGHAN MAY|CONTRIBUTOR

The first time my husband and I moved to Florida, we had only been married a year. We didn’t know anyone, but as optimistic Midwesterners we prepared to move to the sub-south. I quickly learned that the formerly “fixed” points of my life were not to be found in the land of lizards great and small. Moments after crossing the state line, our air conditioning went out. We spent the remaining miserable hours sticking to the vinyl U-Haul seats in standstill traffic and praying a breeze would find its way through our open windows. Hours later, we unloaded our hand-me-down furniture into temporary storage. I was sticky, weary, and overwhelmed as I stumbled down the ramp. In slow motion, I recall dropping everything to brace myself and blurting out, “I hate Florida!”

Christians experience transitions in life. Some changes are expected, and others seem to come-out-of-nowhere. These transitions disorient us and leave us unsteady. We want to go back to what we know in an effort to find security, comfort, and a sense of control. But as that option eludes our grasp, God teaches us to rest in His grip. I often remind myself that I can’t count on today to look like yesterday; my comfort is that God is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow.

Perspective Sharing

Transitions can be especially hard for kids. I often let my five kids know when we are going to start something new to provide extra buffer time. So when our family moved back to Florida this year we prepared in advance. Instead of stumbling to my knees, as I did on that first move, we started on our knees. Instead of praying for ease in the transition, we asked God to grow our faith in Him and trust in His loving provision.

As the countdown to leaving the home we knew and the church we loved approached, my children and I made time to talk about some of the changes we anticipated. We discussed our concerns and what made each of them uneasy. It was helpful to list our fears, grieve our losses, and prepare our hearts together in prayer. Then we repeatedly remembered what would remain unchanged: we recalled the character of God and recounted His promises. As we looked to Jesus, we had an opportunity to help our kids adjust their reference point, and we found our joy and anticipation grow. As a family, we hoped in God’s sufficient grace instead of our plans or comfortable circumstances.

Psalms 120 to 134 are the Songs of Ascents. These fifteen psalms were sung by groups of pilgrims on their way to the high city of Jerusalem to worship the Lord. Like my family, these faithful travelers encouraged one another in their journey by singing of their unshakable security in God. These forward-marching pilgrims looked beyond their own wisdom and capabilities for assurance. They helped each other orient their lives around the Lord.

In Psalm 121 we read the same hope-filled words these pilgrims sang:

“I lift my eyes up to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber.”

We can imagine how their hearts were reassured as they marched in step with these words pouring from their lips.The psalmist reminds us that One in whom we place our trust is the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. Climbing toward their earthly destination, their longing for the heavenly Jerusalem grew (Heb.12:22-24).

Perspective Shaping

Psalm 121 ends with a promise, “the Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life. The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore” (7-8).

One of the most challenging parts of transition is that time of waiting in the unknown; waiting to feel acclimated, waiting for friends, waiting to see how the Lord will work. I want to create something that feels “normal” and return to trusting in my daily rhythms. But God is teaching me the rhythm of daily grace. In transition, I learn to anticipate my final destination more than my present, and I rely on His leading, much like the Israelites wandering the wilderness followed the pillar of cloud and fire.

While we will struggle, we can trust that God is our Keeper. Though we know we will face change in our lives, it is part of God’s sovereign plan to bring us to Him, grow our reliance upon Him, and shape us into a more radiant reflection of Him. We are not supposed to go alone.

As you continue to walk in faith, and not simply sight, do you have a community who walks in step with you and can sing back to you of God’s faithfulness? If you are an elders’ wife in the PCA, please sign up for “WE,” a ministry to wives of elders in the PCA. Find out more at women.pcacdm.org/we.

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