Staying Connected to God in the Transitions of Life
Wesley started preschool on Monday. I promise that this blog isn’t becoming all about Wesley, mom life, and all that it entails. But this week taught me a lot about my faith journey and the season I find myself in today. A lot of it is because of this huge transition for our family.
I knew the transition would hit Wesley hard, as he has stayed home with me full time for his entire life. But the transition has been hard on me too—maybe even harder on me than it has been on Wesley.
I’m in a place of considering what’s next for me career-wise. I’m also learning what the writing life looks for me with this new routine. As we transitioned into this new schedule this week, I struggled to live well in this new season.
My Current Transition
When I dropped Wesley off at school, I didn’t really know what to do with my time. You know how we so often wish we had all the time to do all the things, but when we finally have that time we don’t know what to do with it? That was me all week. By the end of the five hours, I found myself wishing I had done several things that I hadn’t gotten done. I felt almost resentful about a few of my responsibilities because it had taken away from things that I felt mattered more.
Second, I found myself spending a lot of time wondering if this was the right decision. This is an extra expense we now have to pay even though I still don’t have a job lined up. When I dropped Wesley off on Wednesday morning, he attempted to run right out of the room and come back home with me. His tears broke this mama’s heart. His teacher assured me that he was totally fine soon after, but I went back and forth for a while about if this was the right thing.
And lastly, I struggled this week with finding a new rhythm. Everything I did felt out of step and super weird. Nothing quite fit. I also realized I had several things that I desired to do, but trying to squeeze them all in wasn’t going to be possible with this new routine. I had to pick and choose, which is sometimes difficult for me.
Staying Connected to God in the Transitions of Life
I know that transitions in life are hard. But as I stand on this bridge between one season and the next, I’m realizing that I need God now more than ever. As uncertainty looms and I seek to build new routines, I have to stay connected to God. This week, I was reminded of several ways to stay connected to God during times of transitions:
We have to look for pockets of time for prayer.
In times of transition, it’s often difficult to find a set prayer time. This week, I’ve been asking God to make me aware of those pockets of time where I can pray. It’s looked a lot like praying while driving to and from Wesley’s school. The 15 minute drive each way has been a great time for being alone with my thoughts and reaching out to God in prayer. But even as I go throughout my day, I’m trying to be more intentional about reaching out to God in prayer. It’s in the transitions of life where prayer becomes a bit of a lifeline. We can’t ignore it or allow it to be set aside.
We have to re-evaluate our priorities.
Halfway through this week I found myself feeling resentful about some of my tasks I’d been responsible for. I felt that they took away from my writing time. I was annoyed that I said yes to them. But after some time discussing this with my husband, I realized that I just needed to prioritize better and let go of some things. I have to put time with God and my writing time higher on the list so I don’t feel bitter or resentful later. This week has certainly been one of re-prioritizing everything in my life.
We have to test out new rhythms, habits, and routines.
Times of transition are a great time to test out some new habits or rhythms. They’ll feel a little clunky at first, but after some practice, you’ll be able to tell if it’s something that should stay or something that you can do without for this season. It’ll take a few weeks before I find the rhythms that work really well for this season. It’s going to be trial and error for a little while. But I have to make sure that the habits that stick around are ones that help me connect with God and add value to my life.
We have to do a heart check.
I’ve been giving myself a lot of heart checks this week. I’ve been continually asking myself if my feelings are rooted in God’s truth or my own discontent or bitterness. Transitions often bring out some intense emotions, and we have to be discerning. Ever since reading Brene Brown’s Rising Strong, I’m finding that I’m more intentional about looking for the root cause of my feelings. We have to continually check our hearts to ensure that we are listening for the things of God instead of allowing our own emotions and ideas run the show.
We have to be all in, right here and now.
It can be really easy to check out and wait for what’s next during transitional seasons. And to be honest, that’s what I’m really tempted to do right now. I want to sit back and wait for my next journey. But I know that I can’t waste this season right now. There are too many opportunities to connect with God and grow within these days. I have to be all in, in this present moment.
When you feel yourself avoiding or wishing away the transitional space, bring yourself back to this exact moment. What do you see? What do you hear? How do you sense God speaking to you? Be all in, right here and now.
All In
The transitions of life—the space on the bridge between what used to be and what will be—are just here for a season. In the waiting, God is continuing to restore and renew us. Our transitions are an opportunity to trust God more in the unknowns of life.
So next week, Wesley will return to preschool. I’ll continue to pack his little lunchbox and toddler-sized backpack. He’ll probably continue to get a little sad when I drop him off. And I’ll still continue to wonder what comes next for me.
But I’ll keep going, all in, because I know that our transitions are the steps into a new journey. The transitions of life are full of unknowns and new opportunities. I want to experience it all, even when it’s hard.