Monday, May 25, 2015

Feeling out grown

Transitions in life can often lead us to feeling out-grown in some sense.

I was chatting with a friend of mine who is an educator. As another semester comes to a close, we chatted about the tough reality that many of the students this person had grown close to would be leaving the school and pursuing other opportunities outside of this person's direct influence. As my friend shared with me, I was reminder that this is a season of transition, and this transition is actually a form of grief.

When a transition occurs there is a grieving that takes place. And grief is an invitation to these 3 things:

1. Observe - Every transition provides the opportunity to see things from a different perspective. While one trend is ceasing to continue, another potentially emerges. In the example with my friend, their influence in the role of primary educator and influencer was morphing into more of a post-educator mentor type reality. Sure, the students under their care wouldn't be viewing them with the same perspective any longer, but that doesn't necessarily mean that the influence one has had in their lives comes to an end...it just changes.

2. Reflect - What does this all mean? A transition has happened. It changes the way you see something, but it also invites you to rediscover the purpose behind the transition. In the instance of the above conversation I had with my friend, there is the emerging opportunity to see how the influence they once had shifts and changes to become something greater than what they might have originally anticipated. Reflection helps us uncover how we feel about what we are experiencing. It's okay to be sad, or happy or any number of things. Human beings were created to feel. Our emotions allow us to create connections (positive and negative) with people and experiences. Emotions weren't designed to rule us; they are a gift meant to help us discover what it means to really live.

3. Remember - To remember is to celebrate. All forms of transition and grief help us to remember what is worth celebrating. This could mean some sort of achievement, memory, experience, taste, sight, sound or more! The remembering phase moves to celebration over time. Like when a teacher sees their former student become a person of integrity and great leader.

When you face a season of transition can you pay attention to what you observe, how it makes you reflect and what it causes you to remember?

A Little Something from Psalm 8

 Had a lot of fun with this one.