serial youth pastor

As the school year is winding down one thought comes to mind, “Transitions are always hard.” It is always hard to for me to transition from going all out through the school year to being a lot more scaled back through the summer. I do look forward to summers though. They allow me to dream and plan and read…a lot. Then once the summer comes to and end I always find it is just as tough to transition back into the fall and the beginning of the school year. One thing is for sure, transitions are tough.

I often think of what Mary went through when Jesus was being beaten, spat on and hung on the cross to die for our sins. Over the course of a few days she went from the highest of highs to the lowest of lows. For her it was the ultimate transition in life. Losing her son but yet gaining a Savior. Talk about running through the gammet of emotions. To see him grow up. Then hear people falesly accuse him of things he did not say or do. Then watch him be beat. Then watch him die a brutal death on the cross. The ultimate blow – going to dress his body with wraps and perfume only to find he was gone! Doing all of this to pave a way for you to spend eternity with God the Father. Talk about a life transisition.

I love how Matthew 28:8-10 tells of this,

“So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”

They ran away afraid but filled with joy. Then they saw Jesus himself. I am surprised that they both did not have heart attacks on the spot or lose control of all bodily functions. Can you imagine the emotional roller coaster she must have gone through?

What kind of a transition are you going through in life? What kind of a transition does God want you to make in your life? God convicted me 9 weeks ago to lose 100 pounds. My goal is to have it down by the end of September. As of right now I am down almost 40 pounds in the last 9 weeks. Not only has there been a huge transition in the way I eat and exercise but I am also gaining a new appreciation for who God has created me to be. Often times we right change off when we are faced with it because it scares us half to death. What change are you facing? How does God want you to walk through it?