As previously mentioned, transitions are important. They are the bridge that connects the divergent thoughts of our lives. If we didn’t have transitions we’d be stuck saying the same thing over and over again. Or our communication would just be random, unrelated statements. Thankfully, even if there is no pro football, we can still watch hockey.
The point is. . . whenever I begin a sentence with “the point is” I’m usually dangerously close to not having a point. The point is transitions serve a very important role in our society. It’s great to have a developing idea, thought, or plan, but we still need to find a way to get from here to there.
The dictionary also gives another definition for transition. By the way, you can learn a lot from a dictionary. Did you know a zoarium is “a colony of colonial bryozoans.” I didn’t even know there were bryozoans in colonial times. Anyway, the dictionary states a transition is also “the process or a period of changing from one state or condition to another.”
A transition is a powerful thing. It’s where Dr. Jeckyl and Mr. Hyde do battle. It’s where dreams turn into reality or languish as fiction. Transitions may vary in their length, but they are the crucial gateway to lasting transformation.
Knowing the right answer is really only part of the solution.
Many of us know what we should do, yet we still choose to behave in ways which go against our stated beliefs and convictions. We eat food that harms our body, drink liquids that impair our relationships, and engage in activities that waste our time and defeat our very purpose for living. We profess the desire for a better marriage, a stronger family, and a deeper relationship with God. Yet our own actions prevent this from happening. Why do we persist in such counterproductive behavior. Clearly, this is an issue of transitions.
To know what is right certainly has merits. To do what is right is an entirely different thing. Consequently, if we are to help each other, we need to do more than just proclaim what is right and wrong. Rather, we must learn to help each other with the difficult process of moving from point A to point B.
I firmly believe that transformation occurs in community. Sadly, we humans have a tendency to try and fix ourselves in isolation. In our self made man myth, we assume that on our own we can muster up enough strength to solve our most plaguing problems. In theory this may be possible, but in practice, isolation seldom leads to successful outcomes. Rather, there are times when we simply need the strength of a loving community. There are seasons when healing must occur in community.
Unfortunately, when we are broken and broke down, we often feel vulnerable. In these times of confusion, we are frequently reluctant to let people in on our pain. Shame, fear, doubt, and even self-hate can keep us from reaching out. We know what is right, but we just feel too weak to make things better. Even so, we are hesitant to let others in on our struggle.
Transitions are powerful things. They are literally the difference between life and death; hope and despair. You cannot solve every problem on your own. Some of our problems requires a loving community. I know trusting people can be a risky business, but isn’t your life worth at least one more worthy transition? It might be time for the story of your life to finally progress. Now about those Mariners. . .
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