by Nicole Yeomans, General Baptist Missionary to the Philippines and Niger

Transition is never easy. Whether it’s moving to a new place, changing schools or jobs, or even finding a new grocery store, there are always adjustments that have to be made. Adjustments are not easy. There are times of frustration. Sometimes the frustration is accompanied by tears. It stretches us in ways we don’t ask to be stretched….and it’s painful.  While we are in midst of the transition (and transformation), we sometimes forget that He is still in control and has a plan for our lives. Later on, we can look back and see how God stretched us and molded us for His glory. This certainly gives us comfort as we push thru the challenging times of transitions.

For the sake of being humorous, let’s journey to that new grocery store together.  You are grilling hamburgers and realize you are out of ketchup. Everyone in the family likes ketchup on their hamburgers. So you jump in your car and race to the grocery store. Your regular grocery store has just closed down, so you have to drive farther to the new one in town. You are in a hurry. All of the close parking spots are full so you whip your car into the closest parking spot you can find, which has to be a good half of a mile away, or so it seems. You run in. You are used to the ketchup being on aisle 9. As you enter the new store, you immediately go to aisle 9; only to find that it’s not there. After reading signs and going up and down the aisles, you finally find the much sought after ketchup on aisle 3. But now you realize that this new store doesn’t carry the specific brand of ketchup you are used to buying and you are faced with another unfamiliar situation… Is anyone frustrated yet?

After some time has passed, you fall into a routine. You now know where to find all your favorite, and even those hard to find items. You can speak the local lingo. You know the workers by name and converse with them, asking about their family and the latest happenings in life when you see them. What once was new and overwhelming is now the norm. You wonder how you ever lived without all the benefits this new store has to offer. But then, you find out that this store, too, will be closing. Continue reading →