Bridging Transitions – Part Seven {In Loss}

Posted on October 2, 2018 by Andrea

By Georgette Beck

What is transition? Merriam-Webster defines transition as a “passage from one state, stage, subject, or place to another” and as it relates to music; “a musical passage leading from one section of a piece to another.”

No one is exempt from experiencing transition. Growth occurs from a transition in all realms of our life. We progress through mental and physical development as we pass through the various stages of our lives. We transition from losses suffered and from blessings gained. Transition in and of itself is not meant to be a bad experience. The transition is a necessary component of what comes next.

When my mom passed away, the loss forced me into a transitional season. Her death became the turning point for me in a few areas of my life. Wisdom blooms in the midst of loss and in the seasons of transition. This is God’s synergy at its best; to usher in a fresh perspective, newly found courage, boldness to act, eyes to see beyond the limited horizon and power to break through any walls that once held us captive. Our hearts no longer wish to settle.

Family dynamics, relationships, holidays and traditions altered in an instant, causing all of us to change how we saw ourselves and each other in the whole scheme of what family meant. Past hurts had to be dealt with. The pain of loss, the raw emotions flooded to the surface and brought about conversations. Hard hearts seemed to melt. The loss of old traditions made way for new. New appreciation took hold for each other, for what was, and for what could now be.

The death of my mom was the catalyst for other huge changes in my life; uprooting from our church family of twenty years to establish roots within a new church family God led us to, a new job opened up, and a truthful painful conversation occurred with extended family members.

My husband and I had received hints over the years of a change on the horizon in our church family, but we had no idea it was going to mean leaving our church home for another. What God revealed to our hearts, could not be ignored. God was leading the two of us out to something new. He quietly asked us to trust Him. Leaving a church family who knew us personally and knew our history came with great sorrow.

Our church had been the place God originally brought to my daughter and me through the very worst transition of our lives; the slow and final death of my first marriage. My heart came to understand the reality of God and His abundant, unconditional love there. Profound healing and growth occurred there. My prayers for a second chance at love and romance were answered there. The man God selected for my daughter and I also came to be a part of this family of God. It was there we held our marriage ceremony and said our vows. It was there where our hearts expanded with God’s love as a ministry began and slowly developed into God’s greater work in our lives and in the lives of many He brought to us. God opened the door for my husband and me to attain our master degrees together while in the midst of this church family. Our roots went deep.

The transition is a necessary component of what comes next. (tweet this)

The uprooting from our church occurring simultaneously with the loss of my mom was surreal, but also symbolic. God asks each of us at times, in each of our real and distinct situations, “Will you trust Me, even in this?”

The greatest work of God in an individual’s life seems to occur while in a raw emotional place, a place transitional seasons expertly bring about. The transition is the key to opening the door to magnificent plans God has for us. Joy in the midst of sorrow is unlike any joy experienced otherwise. Faith in the unseen develops in the nutrient-rich soil of transition.

There is something supernatural that occurs when our hearts are busted wide open during our seasons of raw grief, sorrow, and pain.

A transition may be God’s specially designed stepping stones to continually bring us into deeper realms of relationship with Him and others; a musical passage for our hearts. (tweet this)

Nothing occurs without God’s knowing. All things are worked out for our good, even the things intended by others for our demise. God supersedes and we see that the final results were all a part of His glorious plan, to begin with. Only God.

My dear precious one, no matter your current confusion, gut-wrenching pain, grief or sorrow, I pray your heart experiences the ultimate joy and love from a God who loves you more than you could ever comprehend. I pray you are able to realize God is the one who can be trusted. Your heart is fragile and special and God will tenderly care for and heal it in every way imaginable.

Seasons do not last forever; they move on. They are not the forever place. Even if your transition seems like it has been hanging on way too long, hang tight my friend, keep the faith, look up and look out, allow the spring showers and fall leaves to remind you that all is constantly in motion, including you.

Much love to you. Hugs!
Georgette Beck

Georgette Beck is one of the authors included in Launching Out, a self-published collection of Christian inspirational stories and poems. Georgette has served on several book launch teams: For the Love and Of Mess and Moxie by Jen Hatmaker, The Happiness Prayer by Rabbi Evan Moffic, Mask of Masculinity by Lewis Howes, and Your Best Year Ever: A 5-Step Plan for Achieving Your Most Important Goals, by Michael Hyatt. She attained her Bachelor of Arts in Education from Florida Atlantic University and her Master of Arts Degree in Human Services Marriage and Family Counseling from Liberty University. Georgette resides in Florida with her husband and two (baby) dogs. She and her husband are mentors who minister to couples in marital crisis and those healing from divorce. Georgette is a writer of heart matters, in the process of starting a nonprofit, Bella Healing Hearts Foundation, and is currently working on several writing projects in between her full-time job, book reading, preserve walking, painting, and piano playing.