“Crossing The Bridge”

Transitions are often difficult. They come in different shapes and sizes all our life…. sometimes they seem to come every week or month… other times they come every few years, or as our stage in lifechanges. Crossing the bridge to the next moment is often not easy.

I remember being at Camp Chaminade, a two week overnight “Summer Camp”. I grew close to my group in the first week and had a great time …. I was the star of the baseball team, I had a big part in the “Dragnet” Play as Jack Friday’s sidekick “Officer Bill Gannon”. It almost seemed that I was older than the rest of the guys, more mature. Well wouldn’t you know it, I was older and the next week they put me in the next group… a group of giants, practically major leaguers. Wow, I was knocked back, I wanted to be with my friends. (P.S. They did keep me with my original group after they saw me looking to catch a bus out of town) 

Well, I wish that my Camp experience was the summit of my “transition difficulties”, but not even close…. really hardly worth mentioning. If we were making a list of top 10 tough transitions, I guess the death of a spouse, of a loved one would be at the top of most people’s list.  

But let me mention one transition that parents face. It’s the transition that occurs as your son or daughter matures and begins moving out on their own…perhaps it’s during or after college. They are still somewhat present, but not really… they are still under your direction, but not fully. The waters are a bit murky, things aren’t always clear. When a child is under your care thru the first 18 years of life, they fit into your house and follow your directions. As a follower of the Lord, your house is under God’s direction…”as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”(Joshua 24:15) As a child moves into adulthood, they are now more fully responsible for their decisions. It’s normal, it’s just not always easy.

This gets sticky when there are disagreements about things… House agreements and most importantly, God agreements. Some things you can find middle ground, other things maybe not. “So, what to do…what to do…what to do.”

Well, here are a few thoughts. It’s good to find agreement on important things well before the moment arrives…. before the pressure builds. It’s good when the kids know that there are some areas where you can’t compromise, because God’s laws are at stake. Fortunately there are areas where a “give and take” can work…a compromise, because it’s “my law” at stake and not God’s law. Of course prayer and dialogue and love (patience, kindness, etc.) are very important to successful transitions. Smiling and overlooking can do a lot . 

Anyway don’t panic when transitions show up. They are part of life. Try to prepare ahead of time and remember “in two days, tomorrow will be yesterday”….. or in other words, “before you know it, today’s transitions will be in the rear view mirror”. So,take a deep breath and know that God loves us and is always there to help us. And that is very good news.