Transitional Times of Life

This year has been a strange one. My fellow Directors of Mind and Soul have spent 2009 getting used to being Fathers for the first time with their first-born children being born just a few days apart. Listening to them speak and seeing their pictures and their gooey eyes leaves me feeling very strange.

The reason for this is that I am at a completely different stage of my life. Last summer my daughter was married and last autumn my son went up to University thereby leaving my home as an empty nest for the first time. Yes, my son has been at home for Christmas and Easter but it is in complete contrast to my colleagues as for the majority of the year my wife and myself have been on our own. I have always counselled people to prepare for life changes specially ones which are predictable but you never quite know how it will impact you until it arrives on your doorstep. In fact, I have probably had the busiest first half of a year that I have ever had and would have found it nigh on impossible to have been able to parent any children as I have been away from home on Mind and Soul/Lifeline/Christian Ministry business across the UK and beyond.

Life is about to change again. Our son who is nearing his 21st Birthday has just come down from College for the summer and my daughter is on her way with her husband for a few days stay and suddenly I am facing a house full of people again.

Facing transition in life is challenging, we need to prepare where we can, be flexible in our response to situations which we can not prepare for – “blessed are the flexible as they will bend and not break when the wind blows hard,” put our trust and faith in God for our future and ask Him to prepare us for what lies ahead and prepare the way for us to go.