Transitions and Rubber Duckies

My kids were always fascinated that they couldn’t sink their rubber ducky. Regardless of how hard they pushed it to the bottom of the tub or how long they sat on it, the toy resurfaced. It’s the law of the rubber ducky!

This law applies to life transitions. Transitions, like rubber duckies, involve feelings which will surface no matter how hard we try to keep them down! Ignoring what is lost in an effort to move forward sounds good but it isn’t healthy emotionally. We can’t truly embrace the new without saying good-by to what is gone.

Not long ago I failed to grieve some transitions and became overburdened emotionally. Each change seemed small, but they built up, eventually becoming a huge pile of loss. Finally, at a spiritual retreat

The Waiting Room

We have all experienced waiting rooms—in offices, emergency rooms, or airports. Often our stay is extended well beyond our expectations, and we become angry, impatient, and sometimes fearful in the face of uncertainty and delay.

Similarly, answered prayers do not always come as quickly as we hope, and we wonder if God has forgotten us or is simply too busy with others to note our needs. We may struggle to believe that God is listening, loving us and bringing an answer at the ideal time. Surely, now is the perfect time!

This week as I thought about my unanswered prayers, I realized that God himself waits.

Surprised by God & Eggnog Latte

I look forward to the season all year long—the time of the eggnog latte! I don’t particularly like eggnog alone but paired with coffee it makes a delicious combination. This morning I woke up and found one left by my husband for me to enjoy. A great surprise treat!

There are days when God brings great surprises into my life as well, things never requested or anticipated. When such blessings come out of the blue, I am overcome by His goodness and delighted by His overwhelming love. However, there are times when the positives come through trials as God combines them to achieve His purposes and His best for me. In those cases, I don’t always identify the good immediately; that often takes the perspective of time. However, sometimes I can sense the direction of God’s sovereign redeeming hand when the hardship first breaks into my life.

Recently, I have faced some difficult circumstances, as we all do.