Every day, we experience transitions. We get up each morning, dress for a particular weather forecast and the demands of daily activities like going to work, school or play. As seasons change, we adjust physically and psychologically.

Transitioning is about adapting to change from one state to another. Most transitions in life represent natural progressions like having birthdays, moving away from home, having children, seeing those children grow up and have children of their own, aging, etc. Many of these result in good for our lives, but even the good changes bring with them challenges to master. With most changes come some sense of loss as well as gain. Loss of the familiar can create anxiety, maybe even fear and sadness. The unknown is what we continuously move into, large or small, requiring faith to move us forward.

And then there is transcendence. While transition usually involves outside factors involving other people or unknown circumstances, as well as our own choices, transcendence is what is happening within us spiritually throughout all life transitions. It is the way in which God encourages and assists us to grow into who we can become.

 Maslow calls this Self-actualization; Kierkegaard calls it a Leap of Faith. In any regard, as difficult challenges life may come our way, the possibility of moving beyond them exists. This does not suggest that life is easy, that we can blow through it unscathed, but we are provided by God the capacity and means to become more whole, despite, and because of all the trials that we endure.

“Change is not a threat, it’s an opportunity. Survival is not the goal, transformative success is.”

- Seth Godin