Exodus 15:13
In your unfailing love you will lead
the people you have redeemed.
In your strength you will guide them
to your holy dwelling.
Forever Reign
Found in Transition
I
originally posted this entry in the fall of ’09. At that time I was feeling "Lost
in Transition." Now I feel like I’m Found in Transition because my life is
constant transition. With the big move to Wichita on the horizon I thought this was
a good entry to re-post. Plus I have not had much time lately do dedicate to Busted
Thoughts. This fall I should be back at my desk doing some more studying. I have been typing down plenty of notes on a few subjects that I do want to get to; until then have fun
reading this re-post.
Have you ever felt lost in transition? I almost
feel like I am in a perpetual stated of transition. Just when I finally feel
like I’m hitting my flow it’s time for transition again. I think the worse is
when we (Kesha & me) commit to a transition and a great position opens
up, a position that we can’t fill because we’re in transition. I went on
BibleGateway.com to find something on the subject of transition. It brought up
this great article by Ron Hutchcraft. I have no idea who he is or how he is
doing as a minister. I guess I could do a Wiki search but I half way trust
Wikipedia as anyone can edit it. I’m just going to copy and post his article. I
could try to re-write it but something would get lost. Speaking of editing I’m
also going ahead and posting this without my editor's approval. Kesha is super
busy and it may be weeks before she can look at it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"And now, in the center ring, high above the
big top..." Or something like that. When we took our kids to the circus,
that was how the ringmaster would introduce those stars of the big show, those
death-defying artists on the high trapeze. They're amazing! I mean, they leap
with perfect poise and grace from one trapeze to another until they end up safe
on that platform across the arena. Now, I can imagine someone with lots of
practice eventually getting used to hanging onto a trapeze. And maybe even then
feeling relatively secure as soon as they reach that next bar. But it's that
time between trapezes that would bother me - that does bother me.
I'm Ron Hutchcraft, and I want to have A Word With
You today about "Living Between Trapezes."
Now, that may be where you're living right now. One
phase of your life is behind you; you're counting on a new one ahead. But right
now you're in one of life's great "in between" times. So were the
people God was advising in our word for today from the Word of God beginning in
Jeremiah 29:5 .
The Jews are in a temporary spot between two
permanent spots. They started in their homeland of Israel. They'll end up back
in Israel, but right now they are experiencing the "in between" of
captivity in Babylon. And God gives His instructions for people who are hanging
there between trapezes. Listen. "Build houses and settle down; plant
gardens and eat what they produce. Marry and have sons and daughters; find
wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may
have sons and daughters. Increase in number there; do not decrease. Also, seek
the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile.
Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper."
The message to God's ancient people may be, in
essence, what He wants to say to you today. When you're in between, don't hold
back. Live as if you'll be there your whole life. In the words of missionary
martyr Jim Elliott, "Wherever you are, be all there." God says,
"Build... settle... plant... increase... work for the good of that
place."
You may be saying, "But, Lord, this isn't
where I want to be. I just want to get by until we get to our
destination." Listen to this statement from verse 11 in the same chapter,
Jeremiah 29 . "'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord,
'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a
future.'" It seems that God's good plans for tomorrow come out of your
living wholeheartedly today.
You may very well not be where you hope you'll end
up. You're between jobs or in one that's just a stopgap. Maybe you're single
hoping to be married, you're living in a temporary situation or you're waiting
for some breakthrough. Like the Jews of old, you're in an "in
between" place. But also like them, God expects you to build there, to
plant, to increase, to improve it.
And as you do, you give God the attitude He can use
to bring you to His very best. If you're in between trapezes right now,
remember - this is a terrible place to lose your concentration. Bloom where
you're planted. Be all you can be right where you are. Make the greatest
possible difference you can there. It's the best way to end up safely at the
destination that you want so much.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Back to me: "Build... settle... plant...
increase... work for the good of that place." I once heard a minister on
the radio say “God never called us to be successful, just faithful”. None of
this transition is going to matter 500 years into eternity, but the
faithfulness will count for something. I’ll leave you with one of my favorite
scripture. Eph 3:20 says “now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than
all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.”
That's almost the New Testament equivalent of Jer 29:11. I’m gonna let Him do
His work as I go about doing His work, even if I feel like I'm in transition. I
just want to stay faithful to Him, how about you?
Stay blessed y’all, it’s your choice!
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