Hello everyone! How are you? I hope you had a wonderful Christmas.

In a few hours it will be 2019. How are you feeling? Are you excited? I am grateful for the opportunity to be alive, because it means God is not done with my life or yours. However, I am also uncertain about what the New Year will bring.

The last two years of my life have been full of transition. In the beginning, it was marvelous, joyous and amazing. However, the second half was filled with uncertainty, pain, and loneliness. I never knew that transition ordained by God could cause so much pain.

When God is doing something new in us, we are excited about it. But we only want the good parts. The parts that won’t hurt or cause us to change. But the hard part is what God uses to transition us into the person He desires us to be.

I began to ponder on the process of transition and God brought the birth process to my mind. When a woman finds out she’s pregnant, it is a time of joy (most times). During the first trimester, she may experience nausea, but other than it is glorious. She has her first ultrasound, hears the heartbeat, and finds out the sex. It is exciting.

The second trimester brings little discomfort. The baby is constantly growing. You feel flutters and kicking, all while enjoying this perfect gift from God. You have cravings and don’t feel as guilty about eating the foods you want (Well, I didn’t 😊).

The third trimester, for most women, is the time of their greatest discomfort. You may have some fear as you don’t know what it will be like as the birthing process for each woman is different. Your extremities may be swollen. You are tired of carrying the extra weight. You are tired. Your belly is big and heavy. It is hard to sleep. You are ALWAYS using the facilities. The baby is continuously moving, because he or she is running out of space. Not long after, a woman’s water breaks and the real work begins.

It is during this process most women want it to be over. The pain…oh the pain. You are excited to meet your baby and you have been waiting for this moment. However, during this time, the pain you experience is at its highest peak. All this is happening while your blessing is arriving. And this is exactly what transition is. The process is joyous, uncomfortable, painful, and then joyful again.

John 16:21 – “When a woman is giving birth, she has sorrow because her hour has come, but when she has delivered the baby, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world.”

My transition is still very uncomfortable, and I want it to be over. But I am learning that when things are most painful, it means I am close to the finish line. It means my blessing is near.

Just because the clock turns twelve does not mean all of our problems will suddenly disappear. It does not mean your transition is over. Nor does it mean if things are good right now, it won’t change as the New Year begins. As we continue to walk with Christ, we will always be in a state of transition. I encourage you to keep going and NEVER give up. Have faith, cry, shout, pray, and cry some more if you must, but continue moving forward in Christ. Your blessing is coming…the promise is coming.

Romans 8:18 – “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.”

As we end 2018, I want to leave my favorite scripture with you:

Jeremiah 29:11-13 – “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.”

Happy New Year! No matter where you find yourself, God has great things in store for YOU! See you next year!

Darlene