A Season of Transition

There comes a point in life when the ground beneath your feet feels different. You sense that you cannot stay where you are, but you are not quite sure where you are going. This is what I call a season of transition. It's the place between endings and beginnings, and it can feel both unsettling and hopeful at the same time.

When I look back at my own journey, I see moments where transition was necessary even though I resisted it. Leaving home, starting over after a job change, or grieving the loss of family were all seasons where I couldn't go back, and yet I didn't know what forward would look like. If you're in this space, I want to remind you that transition isn't failure. It's a natural part of growth.

The Tension of Transition

Maybe you’re coming of age, stepping out of school into the working world. Or maybe you’re moving from one relationship, city, or stage of life to another. In these moments, you may feel the pull between what’s familiar and what’s ahead.

Think of Ruth. She could have stayed in Moab, with the life she knew. Instead, she chose to follow Naomi into Bethlehem, saying:

“Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay.” – Ruth 1:16

Ruth's transition was risky. She was a widow, stepping into a land that wasn’t her own. But her obedience positioned her in the lineage of Jesus. Sometimes the way forward looks uncertain, but God sees the harvest we can’t yet imagine.

Transition Is a Training Ground

When Israel wandered in the wilderness, they weren’t just lost. They were being trained. Deuteronomy 8:2 says, “And you shall remember the whole way that the Lord your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that He might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart.”

That’s not a verse most people quote when they talk about change, but it’s an honest reminder: transition exposes what’s inside us. The wilderness season wasn’t the end for Israel. It was the "classroom" that shaped them into a people ready for promise.

Letting go isn’t about losing. It’s about making room for the new season ahead.

Learning to Release

Part of navigating transition is knowing when to let go. Ecclesiastes 3 reminds us there’s “a time to keep and a time to throw away.” That’s not just about things we own, it’s about habits, relationships, and even old versions of ourselves.

I remember talking with a friend who had just switched careers. She was holding on tightly to the identity she had built in her old job. It made her anxious every time she introduced herself because she didn’t know who she was without that title. Over time, she realized that the most challenging part wasn’t the new job (it paid much less than her previous one) itself, but letting go of the past. Once she did, she felt lighter and more open to what God was doing in her present.

Ask yourself: What am I carrying that no longer fits where I’m going? Letting go isn’t about losing. It’s about making room for the new season ahead.

Waiting Without Wasting

Seasons of transition aren't just about letting go; they're also about embracing new beginnings. They are also about waiting for what comes next. Waiting can feel like the hardest part. Yet, Scripture encourages us to wait with purpose.

Habakkuk 2:3 says, “For the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end—it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay.” This verse reminds me that God’s timing is exact, even when it does not match my own.

"You Made a Way," by Travis Greene

When I look back on the many times I moved from one state to another—California, Texas, Florida, Tennessee, and eventually Mississippi—I remember the in-between moments where life seemed to stall. Each move came with a promotion, and for that I was grateful. Yet I often felt restless because I hadn’t taken the time to truly seek the Lord before making those moves.

Now, with perspective, I can see those seasons weren’t wasted. They stretched me, introduced me to new people, deepened my faith, and quietly prepared me for what was next. Waiting well, I’ve learned, is less about standing still and more about choosing to grow even when you can’t see the full picture.

What Transition Teaches

One of the overlooked lessons in transition is dependence. In 2 Samuel 5, David had just been anointed king over all Israel. He could have moved confidently in his own strength. Instead, we see him pause:

“So David inquired of the Lord, ‘Shall I go up against the Philistines? Will you deliver them into my hand?’” – 2 Samuel 5:19

David’s first act as king was not self-assurance but seeking God. That’s the wisdom of transition: new seasons don’t require you to know everything, but to know the One who does.

Transition also humbles us. It strips away the illusion that we are in control. Think about starting a new job. The excitement is real, but so is the reality check: long hours, steep learning curves, and the pressure to prove yourself. Transition reminds you that growth takes time, patience, and humility.

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Holding On to God’s Promises

When you’re in transition, it’s easy to focus on what you’ve lost or what you don’t yet see. But Scripture gives us anchors.

“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.” – Psalm 32:8. This verse doesn’t just say God will give direction. It says His eye is on you. Transition may feel lonely, but you are never unseen.

Another anchor is Isaiah 43:19: “See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?" Notice the language: God is already doing something new. Your job isn’t to create the change, but to recognize it and walk in it.

How to Walk Through Transition

1. Acknowledge where you are. Like Israel, sometimes you’ve been circling a mountain. Admit it. Stop minimizing or ignoring the shift happening around you.

2. Seek God’s guidance. David didn’t move until he asked God. Don’t rush into a new season without prayer.

3. Embrace the discomfort. Ruth left Moab and entered the unknown. Transition often feels like stretching, but stretching grows capacity.

4. Stay connected to wise voices. Naomi’s counsel helped Ruth step into destiny. Who is speaking into your transition?

5. Remember God’s track record. Look back at times He’s carried you. If He did it before, He’ll do it again.

"Trusting God in the Hardest Seasons," by Lysa TerKeurst

Closing Thoughts

A season of transition isn't a place to fear. It's a place to trust. The discomfort you feel is often the soil where growth takes root. If you're standing at the edge of a new season, remind yourself that you're not alone. The God who led His people through the wilderness, who guided David in caves, and who steadied prophets in times of waiting is the same God guiding you today.

So take courage. Let go where you must, wait with patience, and lean into God’s presence. This season won't last forever, but it will shape you for what comes next.

What’s one lesson God is teaching you in this season of transition? Share below—your answer might be the encouragement someone else needs today.

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Janette Owens is the founder of Be Inspired For Real and owner of Be Inspired For Real LLC. She loves everything inspirational and has spent most of her life inspiring and motivating others through humor, prose, exhortation, and God's grace. Janette is the author of A Swan Song, an intimate collection of poems and short stories. Janette lives in Olive Branch, Mississippi.