Transition

They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.” ~ Luke 18:37 NIV

Our family has been in a state of transition longer than I can guess. Transition is movement or change. Change is causing something’s form, nature, or future course to be different from what it is or would be if left alone. Keeping our eyes completely fixed on Jesus, this idea that our paths will be completely different has amazing and endless possibilities! But having left her friends and everything she’s ever known, Savannah is really struggling with this transition. While she understands that God called us here, she doesn’t understand is why we can’t “go home.” Home. That settled, comfortable place where we can relax and breathe, knowing all the rules, boundaries, and expectations. Home. A place to call “mine.” And it’s not just Savannah who’s struggling with this; we all are on different days.

But is it as bad as we feel? Luke 18:35-43 tells the story of a blind beggar who also found himself in a state of transition. Upon hearing the crowd grow excited, the blind beggar asked who was coming. “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.” “Passing by” is part of transition. Though Jesus was the One causing the movement, it was the blind beggar whose life was about to change forever! Verses 38-43 reveal that the man cried out to Jesus louder and louder until Jesus called him over and said his faith had healed him.

There are 3 ways to look at the blind man’s transition. 1) Long. Blind from birth, he wasn’t healed for many years. 2) Short. He heard Jesus was near, cried out to Him, and immediately received healing. 3) In Christ. God’s desire is that we’d change into the likeness of His image and keep moving toward His plan for our lives—both the blind beggar and our family.

While the transition for our family feels long, and sometimes emotional, I pray that Holy Spirit will help us to look at it as neither long or short, but in Christ. Because in Christ, the possibilities are amazing and endless!

©Heather Potts 2017

HOME

When Jesus returned to Capernaum several days later, the news spread quickly that he was back home. ~ Mark 2:1 NLT

We’re currently on vacation staying with my brother and his family. And although I had good intentions, being away has gotten me out of routine, which can more easily steal my peace. But Holy Spirit reminded me that the place is not my problem.

At church on Sunday, the pastor taught on Mark 2:1-11. He said Jesus, having been out beginning His ministry, had just returned home. In this passage, a paralytic was lowered through the roof to be healed by Jesus. Jesus healed him first emotionally and then physically. At that time, the man’s family, not strangers, should have cared for him. But likely due to his illness, his family left him to fend for himself. When Jesus called the man, “My child,” (v 5), as a parent would call a son or daughter, Jesus gave the man a home, a place of belonging.

Home is a place of:

·   Healing. When you’re not feeling like yourself, you want to be in your space with its comforting feels and smells.

·   Oneness. While away, it’s easy to get distracted by others’ routines and mannerisms. Though there’s nothing wrong with them, you run the risk of losing the one-mindedness of your family unit. Home allows you to reconnect and realign your thinking.

·   Meditation. The reason people often “need a vacation from their vacation” is because they fail to slow down, take a deep breath, and keep their peace.

·   Escape. We can all feel that we need to “get away” to escape life’s demands. But home is meant to be a place of escape, a refuge from craziness and storms.

I realized on Sunday, that I’ve been struggling to feel “at home.” But Holy Spirit reminded me that it’s not about a street address. No matter where I am, my home is in Him.

Regardless of what’s going on in your life and where God has you. Remember that He always has you and that your home is found in Him.

©Heather Potts 2017