Fall is finally here! I impatiently wait for this season ALL year long. The leaves are changing to all their beautiful colors, the temperature is dropping, and best of all; it’s now acceptable to pull out all the cozy sweats and fall-scented candles. (Does anyone else burn fall candles year round or is that just me?…Just me? Alright).
The thing about Fall is, this transition period between seasons happens every single year, without fail. What separates that type of transition from our own is that many times the transitions we go through are unexpected, uncomfortable, and just plain difficult at times.
Considering the many transitions going on in my own life, it made me think of the book of Luke.
Luke 8: 22-25 KJV reads “ Now it came to pass on a certain day, that He went into a ship with His disciples: and He said unto them, Let us go over unto the other side of the lake. And they launched forth”.
23 But as they sailed he fell asleep: and there came down a storm of wind on the lake; and they were filled with water, and were in jeopardy,
24 And they came to him, and awoke him, saying, Master, master, we perish. Then he arose, and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water: and they ceased, and there was a calm.
25 And he said unto them, Where is your faith? And they being afraid wondered, saying one to another, What manner of man is this! For he commandeth even the winds and water, and they obey him.
Let’s add some context and chat about some of the ways we can use the Apostle’s experience to help us through our own transitions.
There’s always purpose. –
If you continue to read through this story, there’s a man that’s on the other side of the lake that needs deliverance. God knew that the current position of the Apostles was no help to this man. He recognized the need, and positioned them accordingly. This really sat with me because let’s say the Apostles wouldn’t have obeyed God or like we all do often, we may back ourselves out of situations because we don’t know what’s ahead. We don’t want to put ourselves in a position of transition, even when we know in our heart of hearts that it’s necessary. When we remove ourselves from the equation, there could be someone or something that is waiting on you to move. Something that depends on you moving. Whether that’s moving to a new city, starting a new job, dealing with family and home changes, understand that this is not all happening for no reason. God has a clear purpose for everything He sets forth.
The presence of God is not the absence of storms.-
A common point, but it’s essential to reiterate. I have to remind myself of this consistently. The Apostles obeyed God when told they needed to cross the lake. They were with Jesus himself, on a boat together. All this considered, they still faced legitimate difficulty. It’s quite similar in our own lives. When we make the commitment to follow God, we choose to live in a way that pleases and satisfies Him, we take the time to learn about Him; none of the above excuses us from the many challenges we face. Following God is a narrow path. It’s a difficult road with plenty of resistance. The beauty is that the storm is never where we’re left. It’s a means to an end, but never the end. (Spoiler Alert: You’ll be a better person because of it.)
He never fails us.-
When the Apostles woke Jesus, he stopped the wind and calmed the raging waters. But he then proposed a question “Where is your faith?”. God loves us beyond our comprehension. He provides us with peace. If we allow Him, he guides us through life. He created us with a purpose in mind. Each and every one of us. How could we not have faith in Him? He is our only constant. If God has brought you to a place of opposition, a place of change or hardship, be confident in the fact that he will bring you out of it. Not only will he bring you out, he will take his time investing in you so that when it’s all over and done with you are now even more equipped. Equipped to encourage others through their brokenness, equipped to birth that new business, equipped to start that new life, equipped to handle that next challenge.
When I hugged my family goodbye, my strength was tested. At home, I was comfortable. I enjoyed the company of my family, the consistency. The familiarity of my hometown would be missed. I had spent the past few months pretty solid on my decision to stay home and begin my career. It seemed like the most logical thing to do, we’re in an entire pandemic. Sometimes we have to stop trying to find the logic in everything, and just hear God. Still, the doubts and negative thoughts became deafening.
But I had to ask myself, “Naya, where is your faith?”. So instead of worrying about all those little things, I’m choosing to allow God to move in whatever way he sees fit. I’m resting in that peace that He promises us.
My prayer for this new month & this new season is that we all find ourselves having faith through it all. As tough as it might be to keep our minds set on things we do not know yet, God is with us through every fear. I sometimes imagine Him looking down and chuckling, because we truly have no clue of all the amazing things He has in store for us if we just focus on Him.
