Trust in the Transition
Our family is currently in the process of a transition. Joel has accepted a job as Executive Director of Music and Arts at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Tracy, CA and I’ll be the part-time Media Director. This transition has been a long time coming and yet our biggest challenge in it will be to trust in the transition.
We have prayed for next steps for our family for a long time. We’ve patiently waited as we’ve been given opportunities to grow in leadership, ministry training and our marriage. The opportunity is now before us and to say the details of it are amazing would be downplaying it. This opportunity is the perfect melding of the prayers Joel and I have prayed for years and leaves me in awe of God’s attention to detail and gentle handling of our hearts. We are very excited for this next step and yet we are familiar with the challenges that will come.
If I’ve learned anything from past transitions, and there have been a lot, it is that I need to keep focused on trusting God in the transition. How the move plays out might not be anything as I’ve imagined, and so I fight the urge to imagine and rather just look to Him for daily peace and guidance. There are many moving parts to relocating a family and my tendency is to try to tackle them all by coming up with Plan A thru E to handle any and all situations that could arise, and yet I feel Him gently reminding me that He has yet to forget or overlook the slightest detail – that I need to leave it to Him and just trust Him in this transition. This isn’t to say that we aren’t proactive in doing what needs to be done – the house is on the market and we’ve de-cluttered in preparation for its sale – but in the waiting, I refuse to let the “what if’s” torture me. I will rest in the knowledge that God’s heart for me is good. That He has always come through in ways beyond what I could ever plan or dream of. That it is not my job to try to move the mountains but rather to have the faith that He will.
And so I’m choosing to trust in this transition. To allow my heart to grieve this home that we will soon leave and that we love dearly. To enjoy adventures with friends here that we adore as we wait – and not to flutter it away with worry and doubt that things aren’t moving fast enough. I’m saving my heart the stress of the details and instead allowing it to dream of this next adventure before us. And although trusting in the transition isn’t always easy, I’m making it mandatory for me. God has proven Himself trustworthy to me too many times for me to ignore that now and so I ease into His peace – take a deep breath – and trust Him in this transition. It’s gonna be a grand adventure!
–Ingrid
so excited for you guys! I know you’ve been pursuing God’s heart for your next step for a while now, and it’s awesome to see where and how He’s leading you. praying for you as you trust in this transition…
Thanks – we’re absolutely stoked at the opportunity and the way this has come together. And congrats on your move East – exciting times!!
Congratulations on this new adventure! I’d love to hear how this all came about. Praying for smoothicity (new word) in the details and general excitement for your family.
It feels like it’s been years in the making! Thanks for the prayers
Wow! Stacey told me the other day, I have to be honest, I was not sure how to take the news at first, bummed that u will no longer be in MO when we visit, and a bit envious to be honest! Shame on me for feeling that way! As I thought more about it I’ve begun to pray for your transition,and for God to use the both of u to bring his will to the body of believers u will be serving and show them how to serve Jesus and their fellow man! I am inspired by the both of u you and your great faith! I am in awe at the strides Joel has taken leading worship and serving in that capacity! You both bless me tremendously!! I am praying for your new adventure!! Not sure when we will get to see you again since you will now be on the “left coast” but we will miss you!
Thanks Herb – you’ve been a great encourager in this journey. We love you and just wanted you to know that there are lots ‘o prisons out there should you want to hop on over to the other side
Trust in transition – wonderfully said. You both are an inspiration! You ALL are an inspiration – I will miss you terribly, but I am so excited for you. It will be wonderful – Look out Tracy (and Lard) California, here come the Rockemanns!!
Oh sweet friend – you won’t miss us when you’re living down the street!
We love you and will miss you until you get out there to join in on some CA adventure fun!!