Articles
Transitions
The Adams’ departure also brings to mind the Dixons, Veaches, Robertsons, Byases, Warners and many others who have “flown the coop” in recent times. Life is full of transitions: children gaining independence; friends moving; job changes; retirement; the death of a loved one. Sometimes we are the “leavers,” sometimes the “leavees.” Neither is easy. And just when we are getting comfortable with life, things change.
There are several poignant “parting of the ways” stories in Scripture: Abraham and Lot; Jacob’s flight from Esau; David and Jonathan; Elisha’s witness of Elijah’s departure from earth; Daniel’s exile; Paul and Barnabas. And probably the hardest of all – the disciples watching Jesus ascend into heaven. Some perspectives to help us when negotiating transitions:
God is always with us. We must not let our circumstances define our relationship with God. No matter where we are, either imprisoned, as Paul, or in exile, as Daniel, troubled by loneliness or paralyzed by anxiety, we must nurture a sense of God’s nearness. “For He Himself has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you’” (Heb 13:5). The hymn Be with Me, Lord expresses this well:
“Be with me, Lord! No other gift or blessing
Thou couldst bestow could with this one compare –
A constant sense of Thy abiding presence,
Where’er I am, to feel that Thou are near.
There is always work to do. Daniel excelled in government service and exemplified faith in the true God among idolatrous and unscrupulous people. Paul’s confinement was a witness to the Praetorian guard (Ph 1:13). Wherever we are, one thing that helps us keep an even keel is serving God in that situation. Not all circumstances are equally satisfying, but helping others and glorifying God brings purpose that helps us endure the unpleasantness of the present.
True relationships survive separation. We’ve all said of friends we haven’t seen in a while, “We just pick back up where we left off.” So true. While we may wish for closer involvement in the lives of our friends and family, this world doesn’t always afford that gift. But true love and fellowship endure, and our extended spiritual family is one of the greatest earthly blessings of being a child of God. Oh, for the time when the word “goodbye” no longer has meaning!
