Greetings!
Spring is here and with it a
lot of new life and change.
This morning I saw an
incredible transition. The night that seemed to have lasted forever changed into
day in a matter of minutes. It seemed more like seconds. What takes forever to
get through can be over so quickly. And yet there is no definitive moment. The
privilege of seeing the day ushered in is that both worlds can be seen
simultaneously: the dark one and the bright one; the cold one and the hot one;
the humid and the dry; the painful and the one with hope and potential.
Transition should be one of our
most favored times. We go out of our way to see a sunset, to find that perfect
spot on the beach or that ideal view from the side of a mountain. We set our
clocks for the early morning to make sure we see the sun say "good morning" in
light language. And then when it appears we yearn to lock in those brief
moments.
Can you imagine how the world
would slow down if we could freeze frame a sunset or a sunrise? The irony is
that seemingly this is when things are going faster and yet it's when we tend to
slow down the most. Could it be that it's the one part of the day when we
realize how fast things really are happening so we say, "Whoa, not so fast
there!" Sunsets and sunrises put things
in perspective for us. Transition puts things in perspective for us as well.
Watching both worlds at the
same time is quite a privilege! It gives us an uncanny ability to relate.
Jesus embodied transition. Both sunrise and sunsets were personified in
Him:"The bright and morning star" -
"bright and morning" representing the
day and "star" representing the
night. No wonder He's called the
"Daystar". The Scriptures indicate that some of His last words were, "It is finished." This certainly did not mean it was over
but simply that His life was now ready to shine brighter than ever.
Please note He said "it"
is finished and not, "I" am finished. There is always an "it" created
when a human faces a conflict. Dealing with "it" properly contributes to a good
finish.
The word "finished" doesn't
always mean final. They called from the garage and said my car was finished but
that didn't mean it was time to throw it away. It meant it was as good as new!
When our cabinet maker said our cabinets were finished , he was saying they are
ready to contain, ready to be used, ready for the doors to be opened. Finished
can mean ready for service.
The corner of pain and peace is
a busy intersection. Like job it teaches us a lot about relationship, a lot
about transition, a lot about starting over, and a whole lot about patience.
Patience puts us in the eternal
realm, a dimension where time doesn't exist. It allows us to see the picture of
where we are, where we've been, where we are going and where everyone else and
everything else is in relationship.
When patience is yoked with
transition it makes transition so much more acceptable. Contrary to popular
belief transition is not some evil monster of change waiting to pounce. The
truth is, how could we ever expect to
have new perspective in life and sympathy toward others without it?
So be patient this spring.
During this season, we are able to see a residual of winter and a sample of
summer all at the same time. May it remind us all of where we have come from and
where we are going and that transition can put us on the path for a new season
of faith and growth.
