Lisa Stackpole (Wisconsin, USA)
Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord. - Psalm 27:14 (NIV)
When my normally prolific irises didn’t bloom, I consulted a friend who is an accomplished gardener. She advised me to move them to an area with more sunlight. I did so, but alas, only one of the dozen plants flowered the following spring. I learned that many plants don’t bloom the year after they are transplanted. It takes them a while to adjust to their new surroundings. The next year they produced 52 flowers! It was worth the wait.
Transitions can be hard for people too. After earning a degree in education, I got a job teaching history at a junior high school. The first year was unbelievably challenging, and I was tempted to quit. But with no other job options, I went back for a second year. As I grew accustomed to my surroundings, I began to flourish and became an effective teacher.
Three years later, I took a job with a prison ministry. It included a considerable amount of teaching, and I might have felt unqualified had I not persevered in my earlier job. Now I can see that God graciously walked with me during that first year of teaching — a difficult time that nonetheless prepared me for what was to come. Since then I have faced other transitions with more confidence, knowing God can use all those changes to produce fruit in me.
Challenging times can be the times of greatest growth.
Someone transitioning to a new job
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