One of my friends who recently graduated from Berea College was sharing the anxiety he is feeling after graduating from college. This is such an intense and often frightening and bewildering time in life. I well remember the feelings of loneliness as I moved from Virginia to DC and into an apartment with Mother, discouragement because employers weren’t beating my door down to hire me, and frustration that things should have been easier. My response was to enroll in graduate school at Howard University. It wasn’t the school for me but it lead me to Washington University so I know God was ordering my steps.
Transitions are never easy. It’s somewhat like driving on an unfamiliar highway. When you see a bend in the road up ahead you’re never quite sure what to make of it. You know you have to move forward but there is sometimes trepidation about that corner. Will you meet one of those huge trucks that seem to take up both lanes? Will there be a steep hill that makes your heart go thump? Is there a drunk driver just waiting to push you off the freeway? Your mind can imagine all kinds of problems if you let it run away. But you have a choice in periods of transition. Sure, there is a possibility that things might not go as smoothly as you hope. But, it is also possible that the bend is hiding a beautiful vista that you would never see if you didn’t keep moving forward. I find myself at a place of transition and this same choice is mine. Yesterday marked the last day of my period as Department Chair, a position I’ve held for seven years. I can choose to consider all of the negative possibilities around this next bend. That has unfortunately been my attitude in many seasons of my life. OR I can choose to see this as a tremendous opportunity for God to show out! I’m expecting beautiful vistas just around this bend.
It is normal to have feelings of trepidation during life’s transitions. Acknowledge the feeling and then pass it on to God who promised never to leave you nor forsake you. Take a deep breath and keep moving.
