Transitionality

I have lately found myself answering questions about how I am with seasonality. “I’m in a busy season just now.” Or, “It’s a season of chaos but it’ll settle down in a bit.”

It got me to thinking. If you get enough of those seasons together in a row, it won’t be long before you have a whole year! And then, two... And, before you know it, a lifetime of seasons will have passed by without ever once being anything but a season, without ever once getting anywhere, without ever once a “when” or a “then” arriving. I am left to wonder if there really is anything after this current season but another season. In other words, there is no “when” or “then,” just now. And now, is transitional and will always be. It leads me to a theory of transitionality.

It is this: life is nothing but transitional. Therefore, the greater your expectation of arrival, the lower your capacity for transition, and thus, the lower your capacity for life – as it is, or as it will be.

The reason seems to me simple. We are built to be the Image of God – but can not hold still long enough in that identity without having to tinker with it. Our tinkering dislodged us from the core of our identity and sent us carooming off distant objects in longing search for ourselves at home, which inevitably leads to repeated disappointment because we will never be at home until we are finally ourselves, at home.

As it turns out, we are built to be where we are. And we would rather be anywhere but there. So, off we go again, thinking we are just around the next corner. But we are not.

We have lost our lease, having proved unsuitable tenants for the paradise we were built for – but we go on and on and on thinking that, if we can just get through this season, we will finally be able to settle down. Only to find we are in yet another season.

Transitionality.

Nothing for it but to seek to be where we are, by the grace of God. Which is the only way we can ever be where we are. And is our home.