With every transition in life there is grief

Transition:  The process or a period of changing from one state or condition to another. Undergo or cause to undergo a process or period of transition: "we had to transition to a new set of products".

Life does not remain stagnant. It changes. The ordinary looking creepy crawling caterpillar makes a larvae around itself and re-emerge as a beautiful butterfly.Transition to this new phase would not have occurred unless this process is complete.

A person who struggles with alcohol or drug problems enters a treatment program in hopes of transitioning to a new state of having freedom from addiction.  If he is successful he will be like that butterfly and experience life in his new surroundings. If he is not it is likely because he wasn't able to break free from former chemically dependent friends with the lure of drugs. He gravitates back partly because he misses those friendships. Missing them is grief.

A high school student spends every day for 12 years with essentially the same group of friends and then transitions into his post high school life with the ceremony to mark his transition. In my day, there was no Facebook that would enable us to maintain those connections and when the ceremony ended we truly said a final goodbye and moved on to our next transition.

No doubt there was sadness. Sadness for the kids who would not see their friends as often. Sadness for the parents who all of a sudden had their daily routine of making lunches, driving their kids to school, and chauffeuring their kids to various activities ripped from under them. Life was about to evolve into a new transition. Until they complete that transition they must reconcile with the past, accept the changes and joyfully move onto their next phase.

What truly makes these transitions easier to accept is knowing that we have a Savior who is there to help us make those transitions a successful passage.  In a response to Nicodemas Jesus replies to his question of how can a man be born when he is old:  Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit.6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit[b] gives birth to spirit. 7 You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You[c] must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”  Jesus made it possible through his transition through death and resurrection for us to experience new life. Without that transition we would continue to be a sinful person with no hope of experiencing life with Jesus!

As we say goodbye to our former selves we open the door to new beginnings. A beginning as exciting as Lucy, Peter, Susan and Edmund going into Narnia through the wardrobe and experiencing another world full of adventures  Exciting adventures await for those who successfully navigate those transitions.  We have a Savior who wants to be part of your transitions adventure. He will help you navigate those transitions and help you become that beautiful fluttering butterfly!