Making the Most of Life’s Transitions
Recently, Dr. Michael Lindsay joined Trent Dunham on the Decisions podcast and shared some insight into navigating transitions in life and ministry.
The average American lives to be about 80 years old. And in that lifetime, a person will have 37 million moments. But only about 12 to 20 of those individual moments will be significant inflection points.
The minute you are born, the minute you meet your spouse, the minute you get your first big job, or the first big loss you experience are important markers in life.
As a leader, at one point or another you’ll experience a ‘hinge moment’. It’s a moment when you’re faced with a crucial decision that typically involves a transition of some kind. And how you navigate those decisions matters… a lot.
Some describe a ‘holy restlessness’… a yearning for different experiences or fresh opportunities. And it’s important we pay attention to those feelings, because sometimes our bodies will tell us things even before our minds have fully absorbed them.
Do you get butterflies in your stomach when you’re dreaming about the future? Do you find it hard to turn off your brain and fall asleep at night? Those could be important signposts the Lord is using to get your attention.
And as you’re navigating the practice of listening to God through prayer and His Word, remember to pay attention to how He has spoken in the past. Does He speak to you through books you read? Dreams? Songs you listen to? Wise counsel?
Transitions are not always easy. Perhaps you’re in a difficult season where you feel ‘in the middle’ or ‘in between’. You know there is something in the future, but you’re not quite there yet. How do you live in those unsettled moments? You do it with integrity, trusting in God’s perfect timing.
And if your transition seems painful, don’t get swept up in the tumult of the moment and lose sight of how God can use that tumult to refine you.
Sometimes He calms the storm… and other times He calms our hearts within the storm.
Transitions in life are guaranteed and can be important moments for growth and development spiritually, personally, and professionally.
For more insight into navigating transitions in life and ministry, be sure to check out The Decisions Podcast episode, Hinge Moments with Dr. Michael Lindsay.
+ More Insights from Dunham+Company: “If God Will Provide, Why Do We Have to Ask for Money?“