Transitions

I'm working part-time as a substitute teacher. Today's assignment is to fill in for a teacher who is part of the Senior Field Trip. Several teachers are out and, of course, all the seniors are gone.

With the seniors out of the building the juniors are at the op of the heap.

I remember those special times. Like the first day after the seniors' last day of school when I was a junior. We called ourselves seniors even though some of us were still struggling to make the grade. And we let everyone on campus know that we had transitioned to the top of the pecking order.

There's just something about moving up, moving on, transitioning.

In reality there isn't much different about a person from one day to the next. He may have received a degree or an honor or a promotion. He's much the same but he has something like a diploma to tell him he's different.

When a person comes into a saving relationship with Jesus you may not see much different about them the next day. She wears the same clothes. She drives the same car. Her class schedule is the same.

But something is definitely different. It's on the inside. You can't see it now but you probably will notice outward changes soon.

The diffence is that God gives his Holy Spirit to each person who trusts Jesus for salvation. The Holy Spirit begins working on the person to change them from what they were to what they can be. The transition has begun.

Some inward changes surface faster than others but the changes are happening. I'm glad to know this because I sometimes expect changes to be seen right now. I have to remind myself that this is happening in other people, too.

Instead of being harsh like I am prone to be, I must learn to see others who profess faith in Christ as people who are on a journey of transition from who they were to who they will be. I am better at that than I used to be. Maybe that's the Holy Spirit working to change me.