Wrapped, settled, and at ease

Times of transition can be both upsetting and thrilling at the exact same time. We get scared because of what we are seeing an end to something we have held dear or worked with for quite some time, but we are awesomely excited about what may be forthcoming as we take on the new venture. The moment we commit to take those steps forward, we are lambasted with all manner of doubt, anxiety, and maybe even a little bit too much adrenaline! The emotions evoked in transition can be undeniably hard to maneuver through, but when we move from one thing to another, there will always be a little bit of emotional 'build up' experienced in making that transition. Transition is a time of unrest for all of us. We like the familiarity of what we have come to know as "constant" and "secure" in our lives. When transition is called for, we often feel like our "legs are being pulled out from under us". This might be why we are as apprehensive in transition as we appear to be. We allow fear to guide our thoughts and influence our actions instead of taking the things we fear to God for his guidance in those times of transition.

Complain if you must, but don't lash out. Keep your mouth shut, and let your heart do the talking. Build your case before God and wait for his verdict. (Psalm 4:4-5)

Transition by definition is simply a period or season of change - changing from one position to another, a state of what some have come to call "stability" into a state of the "unknown". We also see that it is characterized by times of transformation. Transition brings with it transformation opportunities. We only enjoy the butterfly because the caterpillar underwent the transition - it prepared for and submitted to the transformation! There is a process in transition whereby a metamorphosis from one state or stage into another is underway. The end result is to make us more beautiful, stronger, and different from what we were when we entered into that transition.

Complaint is inherent in transition. It is human nature to complain 'about' or 'against' whatever it is that is seeking transition. Why? We may not even like the present process or way things are, but to change means there will be this encounter with the unknown, so we resist it. We don't seem to understand the process, or even want to participate in the process change, so we lash out against it. We can approach transition with a degree of maturity that will assist us in making it through the transition in a positive manner, but we don't come by this 'maturity' all on our own - we need God's help. The first thing he expects of us is that we will limit the complaining. It is the easiest thing to enter into the "whining" stage of complaint when we don't understand something, we don't feel it is fair, or we don't interpret the transition as something we can endure. Complaint is often an expression of our uneasiness over the situation at hand. It is quite easy for complaint to go the other direction into becoming an expression of our resentment toward the transition that is occurring. How we face the transition is directly impacted by both our "self-talk" and our "outward talk" about that transition. 

 
Some find they let their heart do all the talking, but when our heart does all the talking, we might just find that what is expressed is really so much of the grief we are experiencing with the transition at hand. As we let go of something we have developed a certain comfort level with (even when we don't really 'like' the present way things are), we often experience a deep sense of grief over the loss (because our comfort is impacted). We want to hold onto what "feels secure" to us, while God may have a different plan for our "security". Grief is often best understood in the midst of transition - we are parting with the old and embracing the new - bringing to light just how much we have been holding onto something within the old that we needed to let go of in the first place.

When compliant is done well, we actually build our case before God, finding there is no other resource as readily available, or as totally reliable to assist with the fear associated with change, the grief associated with letting go of the old, and the sense of unease created when transformation must occur. We often gravitate toward building our case before man - but it is time for us to truly consider that God is in control, so we need to build our case before him, not others. It can be hard to wait for his verdict - once we have laid it all out before God (our fear, disappointment, grief, unease, etc.), we are told to wait. Not the easiest instruction to follow, huh? I know for a fact that I am not the best at "waiting" to see what will unfold. It is in the "wait" that we often receive the greatest revelation of what the future holds - and how to let go of what has been an ineffective process in our lives. 

Think about that caterpillar for a moment again - in the moments of transition, he is going about his daily life until one day he is somehow moved to create a new form of existence. He goes into the safety of a cocoon - a place for his transformation to occur. That is kind of like us building our case before God - we take time to envelop ourselves in his watchful care, and then we wait for the rest to occur according to his plan. In the end, the cocoon produces the beauty of the butterfly - sometimes it is a Monarch, other times a simply little butterfly with golden wings. So, whatever transition we face today, perhaps we'd do well to consider the instruction of our psalmist. God can deal very well with our complaints - but we need to take them to him, not others who have no control over the transition. God is about to work in the midst of the transition - to produce what he believes will produce the greatest beauty in us. We need to find what we need for the transition in the safety of the "enveloping" covering of his care. Just sayin!

Got some stuff in your way?

There are just some days when I don't feel like I have it all together.  You know the kind of days I mean - when you hit the ground running and just check off as much as you can, but you know you didn't get it all done, nor did you perhaps do as thorough a job as you would under normal circumstances. We all live extremely busy lives, experiencing this kind of lack of "togetherness" in our days, but it is not to be the "norm" for us.  In fact, God wants us to learn to rely upon him bringing things "together" FOR us rather than us having to do all the work ourselves.  We "enter into" what God has for us - in turn, he enters into us and begins to set things in right order which are kind of helter-skelter within us.  In the end, he begins to effect changes to the things in our days we cannot handle apart from his grace and action helping us to "get through"!  

By entering through faith into what God has always wanted to do for us—set us right with him, make us fit for him—we have it all together with God because of our Master Jesus. And that’s not all: We throw open our doors to God and discover at the same moment that he has already thrown open his door to us. We find ourselves standing where we always hoped we might stand—out in the wide open spaces of God’s grace and glory, standing tall and shouting our praise. There’s more to come: We continue to shout our praise even when we’re hemmed in with troubles, because we know how troubles can develop passionate patience in us, and how that patience in turn forges the tempered steel of virtue, keeping us alert for whatever God will do next. In alert expectancy such as this, we’re never left feeling shortchanged. Quite the contrary—we can’t round up enough containers to hold everything God generously pours into our lives through the Holy Spirit!  (Romans 5:1-5 MSG)

We "enter" each day with an opportunity to "enter into" what God has prepared for us, or remaining "head-strong" by trying to just do it all ourselves. I know God didn't put me in my present position in nursing because he wanted to defeat me, so when tough days come my way, I have to look up, not inward.  I don't find the strength I need to work through the challenges I may be facing by "mustering" some kind of internal strength, but by "entering into" the peace, provision, and presence he provides.  Now, to do this, I have to first take this "overwhelming feeling of pressure" I may be under because of mounting deadlines, competing priorities, and demanding issues and place it squarely in his control.  Instead of entering into the challenges, I lay those challenges at his feet.  Remember over the past couple of days how I have been talking about allowing the altar to be the place where we are "altered"? It is kind of like that - I want the circumstances to be altered and the only way they will be is when I take them to the altar!  It is there he gives direction and brings peace.  It is there he transforms me from a mess of worrying human goop into a woman equipped with the wisdom to prioritize the demands, make the most of the opportunities, and quickly resolve the small stuff I should not be sweating in the first place!

When we "throw open OUR doors to God", we discover he has already opened his doors to us!  I have three bedrooms in my home, each with a door on them. I can have all three doors closed at one time.  The only thing connecting the three rooms at that moment is the hallway.  At first, the hallway seems quite confining - small, dark, and with walls quite close.  In that smallness of space, I can feel overwhelmed.  As soon as I begin to open the door to the first bedroom, the hallway takes on a different feel - new light is brought into the hallway, the walls don't seem so close, and I see the possibility of expanse before me.  The very action of opening the door presented more opportunities for me.  I am no longer bound by the limits of the hallway - but I needed the hallway to get to the open space of the bedroom!  Even the moments of "confining distress" are just transition points which require us to take some action - we have to allow them to act as the means by which we open the next door!  As we bring ourselves to the door, we have to take the handle - turn it - and then swing the door open.  It is like we take the confining mess of our day and then we determine to move it from our control to his!  We allow him to bring us through the transition of feeling confined into the openness and light of his presence.

Some of my deepest moments of growth are when I feel the most confined - because I have come to recognize them as transition points (hallways) in my life.  They aren't "crushing weights" when the right one is bearing the weight! As soon as I transition the weight from me to Jesus, the confining feelings of chaos and disorganized thought begin to lift!  I can see things better when I have made the transition of me having to control it all into the place of letting him bring me into the expanses of his provision.  Look at what our passage says comes next - when we open the door, clearly making the transition from feeling so confined by the pressures around us - we not only come into open spaces with God, but there is "even more to come"!  Now, why on earth would we want to remain in the hallway, all confined by the pressures we face, when we could come into his "even more"?  

The promise - we cannot round up enough containers to contain all God generously provides for us when we open the door to him!  Nothing compares to the generosity of God - nothing outshines his goodness toward those he loves!  I don't need to "own" it all - I just need to be available to do whatever he asks of me.  I don't need to be in "charge" of it all - I just need to be willing to take the next step when he requires it of me.  This is a challenge to actually live this way, but one thing is for sure - as soon as we learn to not settle for the "hallway experiences", we will be moving in the right direction. The hallway is not a confining space, but a transition point.  Let the pressures mount, the problems come as they may, and the competition for our priorities be ever in our way - it takes the hallway to get to the doorway!  At the doorway, we can transfer what is in our way!  Just sayin!

Getting through or being brought through?

Have you ever felt yourself move from a place of relative safety and security into a place of what most would call "trouble and uncertainty"?  When you do, the immediate response of your body and mind is to begin to muster those hormones we associate with the "fight or flight response" and your mind begins to consider the various scenarios which could play out.  In those short moments from feeling totally secure to the place where you feel like the bottom may be dropping out, your body and mind are responding - but what about your spirit?  In those moments between peace and chaos, what is the response of your spirit?  If you are truly trusting in God alone as your source of protection and provision, you will likely be able to say the chaos doesn't actually disturb your peace!

When I walk into the thick of trouble, keep me alive in the angry turmoil. With one hand strike my foes, With your other hand save me. Finish what you started in me, God. Your love is eternal—don’t quit on me now. (Psalm 138:8 MSG)

When we walk into "the thick of trouble", we "feel" the turmoil of the trouble. It is almost palpable to us.  This is because of the immediate response of our bodies and minds.  We begin to internalize the transition - because our bodies are made to have this fight or flight response.  What we do next is what determines if we will feel the overwhelming sense of panic or if we will move back into a place of settled peace.  This is the exact moment where our spirit can override our minds and settle our emotions.  

Learning to respond in the spirit instead of with our emotions or our natural instincts can be a little bit tricky, though.  It seems to be the thing which gives us the greatest struggle because it isn't "naturally" our first inclination. It is a learned habit!  One thing I have learned about my heavenly Father is that he doesn't begin stuff he isn't willing or capable of finishing.  That said, when I feel the pressures coming in around me, the "learned thought" I have is that of reminding myself he doesn't bring me "in" to leave me there!  What he begins, he has a perfect plan to finish!

Notice I mentioned this was a "learned thought" pattern on my part.  This is probably concerning to some because we think this "spiritual" stuff is supposed to be all God and not us.  The truth is, I have had to have my mind retrained in relation to how I view life's issues - those stressful points of transition into which I find myself walking which will produce those immediate "natural" responses of fight or flight and "scenario flipping".  It is only as I take those thoughts captive - get them under control by reminding myself who is actually in charge in my life - that I can see the moment as less than overwhelming.

The same will be true in your life as you determine in your heart to continually remember who is in charge, that he doesn't bring us in to leave us there alone and his plans are going to be fulfilled - he doesn't leave undone what he begins in us.  He is faithful to finish what he has begun.  It is not a bad thing to remind him that you are counting on him doing this, though.  As a matter of fact, it almost affirms for God that you and I are aware he is in charge of the moment and we are trusting him to bring us out the other side.  Notice, I didn't imply he magically delivers us "from" the issue, but rather gives us the wisdom and strength to walk through it.  "In" the place we find ourselves he is capable of "bringing" us through.  Not us getting through on our own, but him "bringing" us through.  

Think that one through a little.  When you "bring" something from one room to the other, what are you doing?  First of all, you determine the best location for that item at the moment is in the other room.  You know where you want it and have determined to get it from one location to the other.  Next, you actually have to do some of the moving of the item.  I am not able to just imagine my couch in a new spot in the room - I have to actually exert the muscle strength to move it to the new spot!  To get the item to its new location, you and I have to be engaged in the movement of the item.  For God to "bring us through", he has to be engaged in the movement of us from here to there, as well!  Just sayin!

Your home country

If you have ever traveled abroad, you know how awesome it feels to just "come home".  The differences you experience when you are in an unfamiliar country range from what you use for transportation, what you eat, to how you communicate.  There are also the differences in dress, living conditions, and weather, just to name a few.  By the end of your "trip", you find yourself settling down into the security and safety of "being home".  When we come to Christ, entering into his family, we find ourselves assuming a new home, much in the way Ruth assumed a new home when she chose to stay with Naomi many years ago (Ruth 1:16-17).  Yet, this "new home country" is not a burden to us because we have pledged our lives to the one whose home it is!   

This kingdom of faith is now your home country. You’re no longer strangers or outsiders. You belong here, with as much right to the name Christian as anyone. God is building a home. He’s using us all—irrespective of how we got here—in what he is building. He used the apostles and prophets for the foundation. Now he’s using you, fitting you in brick by brick, stone by stone, with Christ Jesus as the cornerstone that holds all the parts together. We see it taking shape day after day—a holy temple built by God, all of us built into it, a temple in which God is quite at home.  (Ephesians 2:19-22 MSG)

This kingdom of faith is NOW your home country.  When we make this transition into the "kingdom of faith", it requires a separation from the former place of "residence" we each knew.  In other words, we detach from the old and attach to the new.  If you have ever tried sewing patches on the old in order to make it last a little longer, you know it works to "cover over" the holes in the old, but it sure doesn't present a very strong or pretty package. The old needs to be just that - old.  I think we get confused about this in today's society which emphasizes the importance of "recycling" things.  We used to just throw away old newspapers - now we turn them into insulation, shred them for compost, etc.  We keep them around, just in different forms than they once had - kind of like we try to clean up the old and hope it fits into the new home we NOW live in.  The issue comes in trying to hold onto the old - our old isn't meant to be recycled - it is meant to be a thing of our past.

No longer strangers or outsiders - we'd call this being an "insider".  We BELONG in this new "home country".  In a society which genuinely strives to just "belong" somewhere, without judgment or ridicule, isn't it amazing that we don't readily step into this place where we "belong"?  We struggle with this transition from old into new, all the while just yearning to "belong". God has already declared we "belong" - in his Kingdom - because of our relationship with is Son, Jesus Christ.  When we "belong", we get this sense of being "properly placed".  I love those pictures where you are challenged to find the things which do not belong in the photo.  In fact, I regularly play those type of games on the computer - it challenges my mind.  What I am looking for are things which don't actually seem to be properly placed - they don't "belong".  When we look at ourselves, I wonder if we see ourselves as "properly placed" in God's Kingdom, or if we are still viewing ourselves as outsiders?

God is the builder and his purpose is to build a home - not with bricks and mortar - but with each of us.  Regardless of how we found ourselves being brought into his family, we are specifically "fit together" to build his Kingdom. I may be a square brick, you might be oblong, and another might have a few curved edges - yet in God's unique way, he has a purpose for each of us. None of us is without a "perfect fit".  At first, when you look at the diversity of those God brings into this family we might think there is no way this oddly incongruent group of individuals could ever find a "fit" together.  In fact, I need your strengths and you need mine; I need to appreciate what you lend to the structure of this family, and you need to see what I also afford.  As we begin to look less at whether it is possible for us to ever find our "fit" and more at those God has "fit" us together with, we might just begin to see how uniqueness isn't what defines us, but what lends beauty to the whole.

A cornerstone unites two points of a wall - giving strength and stability to the wall because of this "plumb" uniting it affords.  Christ does this in his church - uniting what otherwise might just be at odds with each other; giving stability to what might otherwise be continually at the risk of being broken down and easily crumbled.  You don't lay the cornerstone last - you lay it first.  It is the starting point for the building to begin.  Start a wall without a cornerstone and you find you cannot "join" it together with another wall, even though that wall looks similar or has similar building materials as its basis.  The cornerstone is pivotal to the joining together and stability of the whole.  Reject the cornerstone and whatever is built will be of no great worth!  

We find ourselves brought into a new family - given a new "home country". There we find potential to be "built together" - but we have to get beyond focusing so much on the differences in the "stones".  We are called to make a clean break with the old country - the old way of living - in order to embrace the new.  It will never do to just recycle the old in an attempt to make the new - it needs to be left in the "old country" so we can fully adapt and learn to grow within the new!  Just sayin!

You in the hallway?

There are times when we get news which seems to take the wind right out of our sail.  The events unfolding appear to be the beginning of something we'd rather not face - like times of transition, downsizing, rightsizing, role changes, etc.  The other day, I was listening to one of my favorite radio stations and heard a little analogy from one of the DJs.  She began to share how she was talking with God about how discouraged she was with her present circumstances - waiting on test results from the doctor, needing to get projects underway and finished at home, work deadlines looming - all making her rather impatient in the waiting.  She then began to tell about how God showed her the purpose of the hallways in her life.  I began to ponder the idea of a hallway being a place between this door and the next - a place of transition.  It is ever amazing to me that God even provides the hallways in our lives so when we are awaiting the opening of the next door, we have a place to spend our transition!

When we trust in him, we’re free to say whatever needs to be said, bold to go wherever we need to go... I ask him to strengthen you by his Spirit—not a brute strength but a glorious inner strength—that Christ will live in you as you open the door and invite him in. And I ask him that with both feet planted firmly on love, you’ll be able to take in with all followers of Jesus the extravagant dimensions of Christ’s love. Reach out and experience the breadth! Test its length! Plumb the depths! Rise to the heights! Live full lives, full in the fullness of God. God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us.  (Excerpts from Ephesians 3:12-21 MSG)

All of us deal with transition points in life.  There is no escaping it - if we are living and breathing, change is inevitable - and so is waiting.  The points of transition are particularly important points though - so we should not gloss over them.  "Hallways" in terms of the ones we have in our homes are likely not the rooms we spend the greatest amount of time decorating, are they? Why is that?  Isn't it because we don't plan to spend a great deal of time in them?  We use them as a means of transition from one room to the next - not as a place of gathering!  Yet, we do put up something in the hallways, don't we?  A little picture here and there, or perhaps a special light or two to light the way.  We prepare the hallways in our home for the purpose they were intended for - passage.  I wonder if we have given much thought to the "hallways" in our lives God has prepared for our "passage" or "transition"?

Transition is a change from one position, state, condition to another.  It is the passage from one "scene" to another.  In TV movies, we see this concept pretty well.  The "scene" of being at home gives way to the next of being at the park and then on the way to the grocery store.  We understand the TV movie maker did not give us all the detail in between the scenes because it wasn't always necessary to allow us to experience the gist of the transition. Hallways in the spiritual sense are much like this.  We don't always take in the transition point as relevant to the development or opening of the next "scene" in our lives.  Today, I'd like to challenge us a little to see the purpose of the hallways.  Indeed, we might just realize the transition point is just as important as the destination!  It is the point of connection between what has been and what will be.  It is the conduit by which we take steps toward or away from something.  This said, the hallways serve a pretty important purpose we might do well not to gloss over!

Thinking about the "hallways" God has prepared for your life, you might have hallways which lead "to" somewhere - they are the ones you are probably most anxious to take because they promise something new or exciting in your life.  Then there are the hallways which lead "away" from where you have been.  Now, if you are leaving a very "filthy" room, the hallways between "filth" and the "clean" room is likely an appreciated journey.  If, on the other hand, you are leaving a room where you have developed a sense of comfort and familiarity, in order to get to a room where you are a little less comfortable, you might not be excited about the hallway!  Sometimes the ones which lead us away from something are frightening - at others, they are intriguing and hope-filled.  It kind of depends on what we are transitioning "between".  

Transition points are a time for us to dig deeper, hold on a little tighter, and to trust like crazy.  We don't always know what to anticipate behind the next door, but we do know if we are meeting up with God in the midst of the hallways, we have a great sense of peace in the transition.  Just sayin!

Transition Points

Just outside the hospital, we have a sloped ramp which assists those coming in from the parking lot with walkers and wheelchairs to gradually transition onto the sidewalk without much effort.  This area is painted a bright yellow - neon yellow.  Why?  I think it is to call your attention to the ramp if you need the little bit of "extra help" making the transition, but it is also to call your attention to the "change in elevation" for those who are walking along without assistive devices.  The neon color helps to draw the eye to the area - in hopes one will be conscious of the transition which is occurring in that spot.  I wonder if God has any such "neon" warnings for us as we make transitions with him in the spiritual sense - navigating from one point to another?  The neon color of the sidewalk does more than point out the path for the one walking, but it also marks the potential of falling for those who don't heed its warning of transition from the bright yellow to the red color.

Watch your step when you enter God’s house.  Enter to learn. That’s far better than mindlessly offering a sacrifice, doing more harm than good.  (Ecclesiastes 5:1 MSG)

God has provided various "transition points" for us in our spiritual walk.  They may not bear the neon coloring of the walkway I mentioned above, but they do have some carefully planned indicators of the transition which is occurring. When we heed the signs of transition, the journey is made a little easier.  The invalid in a wheelchair could struggle to get the wheelchair up onto the sidewalk at some other point - having to find a way to bring those wheels up the 8 or 10 inches of sidewalk rise.  They might even have to go a long way around to another transition point if they didn't use the one provided and clearly marked out for them.  This seems silly when one is so clearly marked, doesn't it?  Yet, we often find ourselves doing the same thing in our spiritual lives.

We find points of transition clearly marked out, but choose a different "point" at which we will attempt to make the transition in our lives.  There is much effort on our part in both seeking and trying to attain the transition at any other point than the one clearly marked out by God!  The most amazing thing to me is how frequently we look for some other "transition point" other than the one God designs for our specific need!

Our writer also reminds about the level of alertness which we need to possess whenever we are moving from one plane to the next.  Transition is a passage from one place to another.  All of spiritual growth is based on making these passages, isn't it?  We move in a continuum from one place to another, until we finally have lasting evidence of the growth in our lives.  Each step requires an attentiveness to the voice of God - hearing ears and listening heart.  Our emotions cannot be trusted to "find" the right transition point - we must key into the truth of God's Word, the integrity of his Spirit's guidance, and the knowledge of how we see him working in the lives of others on this journey to recognize the "transition points" in our walk.

Regardless of where you go in life, there are points of transition all around you in the physical sense.  You move from the outside into the house by means of a threshold - a point of transition.  You traverse from one highway to another, until you reach your destination - each transition taking you just a little closer to your intended destination.  You are constantly faced with multiple opportunities for transition - even in these examples, there is more than one "transition point".  The house has both a front and back door - either could allow your transition from the outside.  The highways only serve to make the trip a little faster, but the side-roads would also help you to arrive at your destination.  The truth is, God marks out the best "path" for us - so we make the transition as he intends it!

Being alert for the signs of transition in our lives often helps us avoid unwarranted hazards along the way.  Whether it is a transition from one place in our attitude to another, or the movement from one plane in a relationship to another - we need to understand the path we are taking!  My hospital has 7 floors.  I can take the stairs to the top, or I can enjoy the luxury of the elevator.  The steps give me immediate access - no waiting to use them.  Yet, there is a degree of exertion which taxes my body beyond its limits in trying to make it to the top!  The elevator may take a little while to come, but based on what I know about taking the transition of the stairs, I wait for the elevator!  Now, if it is one or two flights, that is a different matter - either transition gets me there in about the same time.  The choice in that instance may not make much difference.  Yet, when I need to get all the way to the 7th floor, the choice I make DOES make a difference!  I might reach the top, but winded, later than expected, heart-racing, and a little fatigued!

Solomon reminds us of the caution of choosing the correct transition points in our lives - not just spiritually, but in every relationship, every financial decision, and in every dealing we involve ourselves in throughout the course of the day.  The point at which we choose to begin our transition may make all the difference in how well we arrive at our destination.  Just sayin!

Point of no return

I'll run the course you lay out for me
      if you'll just show me how.

I long to obey your commandments!
      Renew my life with your goodness.

(Psalm 119:32, 40)

Renewal or revival is really a process of bringing something back to life again - it has been withered under the weight of time, pressures of experience, or dismay of disappointment.  With revival comes a "re-infusion" of freshness and the possibilities of something new coming forth.  I have been guilty of neglecting my houseplants for a period of time, only to realize it once I see the leaves limply hanging in protest to my neglect!  In the only way they know how to communicate with me, they are drawing attention to show me their need - for that which will bring them revival - water!  God expects us to be as transparent with him - calling out to him with our need for revival.

Revival involves us sharing our plans with God and allowing him access to the things we think we have "lined up" as the next steps with our life.  Through his Word, he exposes direction to us - we are free to accept or reject it.  Through his Word, he also exposes where we have accepted / adopted mis-direction in our lives and what it is that we can do to correct that course.  

When I have learned things through the years in my various educational pursuits, I have appreciated that there are certain principles that apply when a certain outcome is desired.  For example, you must heat a substance to a certain point and have just the right mixture of "fuel" in order to have combustion.  There is a certain sense of safety in knowing what "principles" apply in a situation.  Knowledge of those "principles" help me to avoid disastrous missteps.  

The principles we learn in our educational opportunities assist us with life's daily challenges.  Each principle carries at least one condition that must be met in order for the outcome to be positive, or disaster to be averted.  The principles outlined in the Word of God are not any different.  Each principle carries a condition - meeting that condition produces the outcome (either good or bad).  The Word of God can bring revival - it comes when we understand the force of the principles outlined.

There are times when revival (renewal) involves a process of dealing with grief - because some event or circumstance left us with pain.  Each of life's decisions creates a moment of transition - we pass from this state to the next.  For example, we pass from grade school to junior high. This transition may produce a sense of grief - old friends may not be going to the same school next term, teachers we have known for several years are no longer going to be around next year, etc.  The sense of "transitional loss" can be experienced in our emotions, thoughts, and physically.

Yet, each of these transitional moments are an opportunity for growth - the opportunity to develop new strengths, to embrace new ways of thinking, etc.  This is no different in the spiritual sense.  The opportunities of "transition" in our spiritual life are riddled with grief, as well.  We look back at what we had once experienced, sometimes grieving that we are moving on, and then come head-on with what it is that we are being transitioned into.  In those moments of time, we can either panic, looking back, holding onto the past, or plunge ahead.

The plant can suck up the water and be renewed, or it can choose to say it is beyond revival, wither and die.  We can do the same at our points of transition - "suck up" the refreshment of that which is being offered to us, or wallow in the dryness of our past experiences.  What we choose to do with the moments of transition determines our future growth!

Transition is a fearful thing

^4-5 Complain if you must, but don't lash out.
   Keep your mouth shut, and let your heart do the talking.
   Build your case before God and wait for his verdict. 

(Psalm 4:4-5)

Transition is a time of unrest for all of us.  We like the familiarity of what we have come to know as "constant" and "secure" in our lives.  When transition is called for, we often feel like our "legs are being pulled out from under us".  This might be why we are as apprehensive in transition as we see to be.  We allow fear to guide our thoughts and influence our actions instead of taking the things we fear to God for his guidance in those times of transition.

Transition by definition is simply change - changing from one position to another, a state of "stability" into a state of the "unknown".  When we explore this definition a little further, we also see that it is characterized by times or seasons of transformation.  Transition brings with it transforming opportunities.  We enjoy the butterfly because the caterpillar underwent the transition!  There is a process in transition whereby a metamorphosis from one state or stage into another is underway.  The end result is to make us more beautiful, stronger, and different from what we were when we entered into that transition.

One of the frequent things we see when people are in a state of transition is the tendency of our nature to complain about the process.  We don't seem to understand the process, so we lash out against it.  The psalmist gives us insight into how we can approach transition with a degree of maturity that will assist us in making it through the transition in a positive manner.  

• Limit the complaining - it is the easiest thing to do to enter into the "whining" stage of complaint when we don't understand something, we don't feel it is fair, or we don't interpret the transition as something we can endure.  Complaint is often an expression of our uneasiness over the situation at hand.  It is quite easy for complaint to go the other direction into becoming an expression of our resentment at the transition that is occurring.  How we face the transition is directly impacted by both our "self-talk" and our "outward talk" about that transition.  
• Let your heart do the talking - when our heart does the talking, we find that what is expressed is often really the grief we are experiencing with the transition at hand.  As we let go of something we have developed a comfort level with, we often experience a deep sense of grief over the loss.  We want to hold onto what "feels secure" to us, while God may have a different plan for our "security".  Grief is understood in the midst of transition - we are parting with the old and embracing the new.
• Build your case before God - there is no other resource is as readily available or as totally reliable to assist with the fear associated with change, the grief associated with letting go of the old, and the sense of unease created when transformation must occur.  We often gravitate toward building our case before man - our writer reminds us that God is in control, so build your case there.
• Wait for his verdict - once you have laid it all out before God (your fear, disappointment, grief, unease, etc.), wait.  Sheesh!  Not the easiest instruction to follow, huh?  I know for a fact that I am not the best at "waiting" to see what will unfold.  It is in the "wait" that we often receive the greatest revelation of what the future holds.  Think about that caterpillar for a moment again - in the moments of transition, he is going about his daily life until one day he is somehow moved to create a new form of existence for himself.  He goes into the safety of a cocoon - a place for his transformation to occur.  That is kind of like us building our case before God - we take time to envelop ourselves in his watchful care, and then we wait for the rest to occur according to his plan.  In the end, the cocoon produces the beauty of the butterfly - sometimes it is a Monarch, other times a simply little butterfly with golden wings.  

So, whatever transition we face today, perhaps we'd do well to consider the instruction of our psalmist.  God can deal with our complaints - we need to take them to him, not others who have no control over the transition.   God is about to work in the midst of the transition - to produce what he believes will produces the greatest beauty in us.  We need to find what we need for the transition in the safety of the "enveloping" covering of his care.