We left the hospital from visiting my grand-daughter and sister-in-law on yesterday afternoon. We were in a hurry to get home to watch the BET Awards. Traffic was moving wonderfully on the Santa Monica freeway and in the transition from the 10 to 110 Harbor freeway. We got into the carpool lane with a straight shot home until the transition from 110 to the 105 freeway and that’s when traffic became slow moving the rest of the way home (and at times a complete stop for about 20 to 30 seconds). If things were to move like they were we would have been home in time to see the opening act of the BET Awards. However, it didn’t happen that way so we missed out but was able to watch the balance of the show.
While driving into work today, I started reflecting on my drive home and two (2) different transitions I found myself in trying to get home yesterday. My reflection showed me that life presents transitions that can be a blessing or a burden.
The transition with a straight shot home is considered a blessing because I would have got home in time to see the opening act. We don’t have problems with transitions that work in our favor. We enjoy life’s transition of a job promotion, finding a job, open doors, good health, decent money in the bank (whatever that means to you), well-behaved children, a growing church ministry, continuous preaching engagements, that one opportunity to show you can do it. See, transitions with a straight home are easy to handle because it worked in your favor.
On the other hand transitions that become slow moving in life’s traffic jams are considered a burden. We don’t like it when life slows down, especially, when we need/want to get to our final destination. It’s during life’s slow down moments that we become stressed, frustrated with God, anxious, worrisome, burdensome, afraid, doubtful, angry, jealous, faithless, and impatient. However, we must remember that life’s traffic jams are not all bad. Some of life’s traffic jams protect us from potential arm that we don’t see coming our way. Some of life’s traffic jams makes us slow down to here from God. Some of life’s traffic jams affords the opportunity of reflection with the end of goal being thankful for what all God has done in your life.
I speak from personal experience while in transition. I will be totally honest that I have mixed emotions about life’s transitions as I have both feelings of blessing and burden during this transition. So driving in this morning, I started to ask God to help me understand this transition. Of course, the following scriptures started coming to mind….
Psalms 1 - Psa 1:1 Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law [fn] of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous; for the LORD knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish. There is a threefold lesson to learn during life’s transition in this passage: (1). Be careful who listen to and what advise you follow – v. 1, (2) Let the Word Of God stabilize you – v. 2-3, (3). God knows what He’s doing in your life – v. 5-6.
Psa 25:5 Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all the day long. Learn what you can during life’s traffic jams.
Pro 20:22 Do not say, "I will repay evil"; wait for the LORD, and he will deliver you. God is fighting for you during life’s traffic jams.
Isa 49:23 Kings shall be your foster fathers, and their queens your nursing mothers. With their faces to the ground they shall bow down to you, and lick the dust of your feet. Then you will know that I am the LORD; those who wait for me shall not be put to shame." God is promoting you during life’s traffic jams.
Gal 5:5 For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness. You will be made all the better after life’s traffic jam.
(Disclaimer: The above text(s) is being worked into a sermon series/book entitled, Handling Life’s Traffic Jams – Trusting God during Life’s Transition)
While driving into work today, I started reflecting on my drive home and two (2) different transitions I found myself in trying to get home yesterday. My reflection showed me that life presents transitions that can be a blessing or a burden.
The transition with a straight shot home is considered a blessing because I would have got home in time to see the opening act. We don’t have problems with transitions that work in our favor. We enjoy life’s transition of a job promotion, finding a job, open doors, good health, decent money in the bank (whatever that means to you), well-behaved children, a growing church ministry, continuous preaching engagements, that one opportunity to show you can do it. See, transitions with a straight home are easy to handle because it worked in your favor.
On the other hand transitions that become slow moving in life’s traffic jams are considered a burden. We don’t like it when life slows down, especially, when we need/want to get to our final destination. It’s during life’s slow down moments that we become stressed, frustrated with God, anxious, worrisome, burdensome, afraid, doubtful, angry, jealous, faithless, and impatient. However, we must remember that life’s traffic jams are not all bad. Some of life’s traffic jams protect us from potential arm that we don’t see coming our way. Some of life’s traffic jams makes us slow down to here from God. Some of life’s traffic jams affords the opportunity of reflection with the end of goal being thankful for what all God has done in your life.
I speak from personal experience while in transition. I will be totally honest that I have mixed emotions about life’s transitions as I have both feelings of blessing and burden during this transition. So driving in this morning, I started to ask God to help me understand this transition. Of course, the following scriptures started coming to mind….
Psalms 1 - Psa 1:1 Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law [fn] of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous; for the LORD knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish. There is a threefold lesson to learn during life’s transition in this passage: (1). Be careful who listen to and what advise you follow – v. 1, (2) Let the Word Of God stabilize you – v. 2-3, (3). God knows what He’s doing in your life – v. 5-6.
Psa 25:5 Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all the day long. Learn what you can during life’s traffic jams.
Pro 20:22 Do not say, "I will repay evil"; wait for the LORD, and he will deliver you. God is fighting for you during life’s traffic jams.
Isa 49:23 Kings shall be your foster fathers, and their queens your nursing mothers. With their faces to the ground they shall bow down to you, and lick the dust of your feet. Then you will know that I am the LORD; those who wait for me shall not be put to shame." God is promoting you during life’s traffic jams.
Gal 5:5 For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness. You will be made all the better after life’s traffic jam.
(Disclaimer: The above text(s) is being worked into a sermon series/book entitled, Handling Life’s Traffic Jams – Trusting God during Life’s Transition)
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