Transitions can be alarming, unsettling, confusing, painful, unwelcome, exciting, and promising. Transitions invite possibilities, but we often want to control what changes and what doesn’t.

There might be some things about the transition that we see as positive, but there are also identifiable and unknown negative aspects. And we might have some fear as the cascading effects of a transition hit, either in reality or in our imaginations.

But what if the cascading effects, including both what we see as negative and as positive, are crucial to the ultimate goal? What if, in our fear and uncertainty and apprehension, we guard ourselves from welcoming the preparation we’ll need to take the next steps and face the fallout of the transitions of life?

What if we let go of some of our assumptions and apprehension and pay attention to what is going on around and inside of us enough to anticipate and respond to the changes, allowing ourselves to be changed through the process?

Let go and let God is a mantra easier said than done. It’s simplistic. Yet it is also true. But sometimes we don’t want to let go of our control, and we’re not quite sure we trust God enough. Or in our process of letting go, we let go of God, too.

Transitions test and tell what we’re hanging onto and what we’re willing to let go.

What have transitions revealed about your priorities, willingness, and beliefs?