“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.”
—Isaiah 43:18–19
When the Lord called Joshua to lead the Israelites into the promised land, He said: “I will give you every place where you set your foot . . . No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life . . . Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:3, 5, 9). Does the Lord not say the same thing to us today? If God has made clear your calling, you can confidently go all in knowing the Lord goes with you. There is nothing to fear.
After saying yes to my call to write a book for the Lord, God led me through multiple significant life transitions as part of my wilderness season and transformation journey to becoming a writer and speaker for God. While I couldn’t see where I was going, I knew God was with me—even when I couldn’t understand what He was doing. Some of these transitions were wonderful and filled my heart with joy and excitement, like when I started writing my book, growing in my craft, learning all the ins and outs of the industry, and connecting with other aspiring authors, agents, and publishers at writers’ conferences and online.
Other transitions were extremely challenging, stretching me beyond my personal limits, causing me to rely fully on the Lord for my every need. For example, after five years working as an Intervention Resource Teacher, I was diagnosed with another chronic illness that ultimately led to my resignation from the school district I worked for, and giving up my seventeen-year teaching career to stay home full time.
It was hard to understand why God would allow such debilitating pain and physical limitations in my life. My husband and I wondered how we would make it financially as a single-income family living in San Diego, California, one of the most expensive places in the world to live. However, God soon revealed why this was necessary, and how it would work out for our ultimate good. Just a few months after I took leave, the Covid pandemic hit the country and my two school-aged children ended up home full time with me doing school via distance learning. My husband, who was serving as a police officer on the front lines during this particularly volatile time of rioting in the streets, needed my support more than ever. My time at home also gave me the opportunity to continue writing my book!
Still other transitions broke my heart as God confirmed a need to let go and move on from a couple close relationships. I grieved these losses especially, as they involved people I loved dearly, but knew in order to live the life God had called me to, to remain faithful to Him rather than in emotional bondage to others, I could only move forward in the direction of His leading. I could not cling to what had been or to what I had hoped would be. I had to accept the reality that these relationships were broken. I needed to trust God to hold secure my heart and theirs through the healing process, not knowing whether or not one day these relationships might be restored.
Through each transition, God further transformed my character, increased my trust and reliance on Him, and humbled me. He helped me embrace my worth, security, purpose, calling, and fullness of life in Christ alone. I could have let these experiences wreck me, cause me to wallow in self-pity, and grow continually in anger and bitterness. I could have let fear lead to misplaced priorities and disobedience to God, but I knew making these choices would never lead to the wholeness and fullness of life only God could give me.
Instead, I was determined to cling to God as He graciously revealed my path forward. When I felt discouraged by my circumstances, or couldn’t see God’s hand of blessing, I held tight to His promises. I remembered Jesus’ sacrifice for me, and that kept me humble and obedient. I remembered that God would not leave me in the wilderness to die (Nehemiah 9:21). He was with me and for me (Isaiah 41:10), closer than my next breath (Acts 17:28). He was leading me—in a cloud by day and fire by night (Exodus 13:21).
To become all God has destined for you to be as the new creation you are, and to finally cross over into your personal promised land, in Christ, you too will experience a type of transformation. Consider, for example, the transformation process a caterpillar undergoes to become a butterfly. After spinning a chrysalis around itself, it isn’t just dormant. The caterpillar releases digestive enzymes, effectively reducing itself to nothing more than a soupy mixture of cells. It loses all semblance to a caterpillar, but all is not lost! Within that cellular soup can still be found the building blocks of an adult butterfly. Cells begin rapidly dividing and multiplying, and within two weeks the caterpillar’s transformation is complete. It can finally emerge a beautiful butterfly!
Much like the caterpillar in its chrysalis, you may experience dramatic changes. In the process of becoming a butterfly, you may feel a lack of purpose, loss of identity, and connection with the world around you. You may feel disoriented and directionless. Nevertheless, this is exactly where God wants you to be. Layers of who you have been will begin molting away, making way for new growth. Your old self—the you who may still be struggling with the pain of the past, unhelpful habits, and long-standing hang-ups—will disintegrate before your very eyes. While experiencing such significant life changes will feel quite unsettling at times, try not to see yourself as who you are in this wilderness season of transformation—which may feel a lot like broken-down butterfly soup—but as the person God has destined you to become: a beautiful woman living out the purpose for which you were created!
2 Corinthians 5:17 reminds us, “if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” Learn to embrace your purpose today, my friend, and trust God will be with you to see you through every heart-breaking, uncomfortable, and exciting change along the way.
