Transitions

Transitions are an amazing time of life. We all go through them; some small and some big. The trick is in how we manage them. I have a son that has a very hard time with transitions. I often struggle with his challenge in these times as I do not share his dilemma. However, I on the other hand, find extreme stress in routine; which is perhaps ironic. In this capacity I am able to empathize with him in a polar opposite fashion.  In this respect we both have a perspective on transitions which allows us to share a unique bond through these periods of change and in this we can support each other. 
 Perhaps this is the part that makes transitions bearable, support. I reckon that support is the one thing that we all need to get through most challenges in life. This may be the key that we need to convert a challenge into an opportunity. It is with support that we are able to see past the difficulty and into the blessing. Here-in lies the miracle of grace.  
 I once was asked why I believed in God. The question went on to ask if I had ever spoken to him or had he ever spoken to me. I answered with a resounding yes. Grace and love I believe are the voice of God. These are not the things that we extol from ourselves naturally but rather with the blessing from God. When we extend a hand to help a friend or stop on the side of a road to help a stranger, I see the grace and voice of God speaking in all of us.  
 I once read a story of a runner who collapsed just feet from the finish line of a marathon. Set to win the race her body failed her and betrayed her of victory. Grace stepped in and brought her to her win as her competition stopped in their tracks and carried her across the finish line making for a three-way tie at the line. It is stories like these where I hear the voice of God loudest. 
 Last year I was struggling with heart issues, I have for some time now. At that time, I had a cord and a half of wood to relocate from one part of my yard to another. My daughter is eleven and full of vigor. She came to my rescue. With her help that wood became light as a feather. She was more than a cheerleader in this effort. She was a workhorse, moving mounds of wood and keeping a positive attitude throughout. On the last day we worked, we finished as the sun set. The sky erupted in a beautiful bouquet of pinks and oranges. If that was not the voice of God speaking in my life, what possibly could be? 
 So, to bring this full circle, I do believe that God is with all of us. I believe that he is our ultimate support in times of transition. It is with his support that we can find opportunities in challenges. It is up to us to look, listen, and to be open to hearing his voice in the people, the actions and the world around us. Only then will we be able to receive that support. God is in and with us. Welcome him when life is amazing and when life is hard.