TRANSITIONS

THAYNE A. THOMPSON, DMin | EFC-MAYM Lead Superintendent 

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9)

The above scripture passage contains words from God to Joshua as He prepared to lead the Israelites into the promised land shortly after the death of Moses. Three times in the first 9 verses of Joshua, chapter 1, God says to Joshua, “Be strong and courageous”.

Most of us, by nature, are creatures of habit, and when times of change and transition enter our lives there are feelings of fear and uncertainty which begin to well up inside of us due to the unknown which the future presents. It is during those times when we need to hear those same words that God said to Joshua…Be strong and courageous.

It has been said that people go through voluntary change for one of two reasons: either (1) they hurt enough they have to change or (2) they are inspired enough that they want to change. I believe that is true. We typically do not change for change’s sake. We change out of pain or inspiration.

Obviously, the preferred type of change comes from inspiration. We are inspired because of a new vision (preferred future) and the possibilities associated with it. Even so change often comes with some unsettledness because we are embarking upon a new future which has unknowns associated with it.

The other type of change comes from pain, because we don’t want to change but the pain we are experiencing now will not allow us to remain in our current condition. It could be physical pain, relational pain, emotional pain, etc. In those situations, pain drives us to a new way of doing life.

There is, however, a third type of transition which is thrust upon us which few of us embrace willingly. That is when change is imposed upon us from an outside force. It is when we are required to do something that we do not want to do. This can bring with it significant resistance and uncertainty.

As we concluded 2025, I told Kristin I felt like 2026 would be a year of transition for us. It began at the end of December when we sold a business we owned in Colorado. As 2026 began Kristin’s mom’s health continued to decline so we moved her into our home at the beginning of April. On June 4, she passed away, and shortly thereafter we decided to move into a new home. During that time, it also became clear to me that Kristin and I would be moving towards retirement in 2028 as we shifted our focus to family, mentoring and a different season of life.

The above changes represent all three types of transition I wrote about above. Each one has meant something new in our way of doing life. Some have come with anticipation, while others have come with pain and sorrow attached. Even so, in every situation God’s word to Joshua apply…“Be strong and courageous”. And why? Because “…the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

Isn’t that exactly what you and I need to hear during times of change and transition? Whether you are excited about the future or facing a future that today seems uncertain and fearful, I want to encourage you to be strong and courageous…for the Lord YOUR God will be with you as well.

I used to say quite often, Lord, I will do whatever you ask me to do as long as I know you are asking me to do it (and I know you will be with me). I have often thought that it is good I don’t know the future, because there will always be obstacles ahead of me that I could be fearful about. It is better to remember that God knows about our past, present and future so that He can help us navigate whatever may come our way.

My prayer for you is that in the middle of whatever transition you may be going through today, God would make clear His presence and remind you that He will go with you. Trust Him..follow Him…be strong and courageous, for He is with you!