Transitions

Yesterday, I took my good friend and administrative assistant, Ann Keefer, to lunch.  It was a good-bye of sorts, because Ann is leaving our staff after a decade of faithful service.  I can't imagine my life without her.  She is the one who posts these blogs!  She has served alongside me and other leaders in ministry, backing up our visionary ideas and plans with the myriad of details necessary to actually get things done.  Ann's computer is filled with mysterious lists and connections I'm trying to transfer to my own - this is very scary.  Ann is the voice that so many hear when calling me, and she answers every call with grace and skill, acting as though she has all the time in the world to respond to whatever the question or concern.
      Ann's departure was not her choice - her position is one that the WCA can no longer fund as we re-invent and adjust to the realities of today's economy.  Yesterday she and I talked about transitions, about the new era she is entering, about the mixture of anticipation and sadness she feels as she explores whatever God might lead her to next.  Blessed with the gift of time to figure that out, Ann displays a childlike trust and spirit of hope as she packs up her boxes.  I truly am excited for her, while I mourn the necessary loss.
      I know so many people going through transitions right now - many from career changes, others from the empty nest or a geographic move, or the loss of good health.  Many times I have recommended two primary authors - William Bridges (his two best books are Transitions and The Way of Transitions) and Sue Monk Kidd, writer of When the Heart Waits.  When something major shifts in our lives, we experience emotions that are actually quite common and somewhat predictable.  It helps immensely to read about the normalcy of these emotions. We are not as unique or weird as we think we are!
      If you have to say good-bye to someone, for any reason these days, be sure to mark the moment.  Celebrate and honor the individual as best you can.  Look that person in the eye and express your gratitude.  Bless that person.  I am deeply grateful for Ann.  She will be missed...And I believe her best days are ahead of her.