Transition

I love new clothes, new home decor, new shoes, new jewelry, new books, and new food. I don't like change though. Funny thing is that you have to have change to have some new things.
Oh, like a new home, a new job, new co-workers, a new ministry, and a new neighborhood.
I've had this weird feeling for a bit now. I couldn't pinpoint what it was until last night when My Sweetie and I were talking. During our nightly chat about his day, his words hit home. Now is a time of transition.

He may have started this new job last December and we may have moved here over three months ago, but right now is when the transition really happens.

My Sweetie doesn't know how his job will feel and we don't know how our family will fit into this new camp life. What our role, as a family, will be.

The changes we are experiencing are both physical and heartfelt. We live at the back of a 500 acre camp now, not a 30 acre one. There is no walking over to the dining hall or camp activities. This camp works with special populations, but it is not Christian. There are no Bible studies, no Scripture of the Day, no devotions, and no songs of praise. There are different definitions of modesty and appropriate behavior. The general atmosphere is different.

We've known all of that for months, but it hasn't been felt until now. Now camp is starting, so the change is real and we have to adjust. There are many good things here and we know that as more staff arrives, campers come and camp actually starts, we will see and feel even more good things. Honestly, I fluctuate between being giddy and wanting to bawl.

The camp staff started arriving last weekend. Leadership staff in particular, the rest arrive today. I've only observed things during dinner, but I've already picked up on the differences (so have the kids). I've even seen some attitude. The "you are the new guy and you need to prove yourself" & the "you're the new guy so you get the cruddy jobs" attitude. While that is to be expected somewhat, I've been surprised by some of it. It's also rough to take when you have worked five summers here, all in leadership, and then ran a camp for fifteen more. It offends me. I want to jump up and shout, "My Sweetie is the finest camp director I've ever seen! Stand back and be in awe! Don't treat him like someone beneath you! Give him more credit. Be ready to be amazed!" I don't shout it, but my heart does.

The best part, so far, is that My Sweetie is taking it all in stride. That man astounds me almost daily (usually in very good ways, rarely in the 'how in the world could I have fallen in love with a man that thinks fart scenes are funny' kind of way). His humbleness touches me. It defines him in many ways and it is helping to define this time of change for me.

I know this time of transition will not last forever.
I know that my God has good things in store for us.
I know that even loss is gain when it is in Christ.

I may not like change,
but I love the One who causes it.
Because He is 100% trustworthy, I have hope for what our life will be after we walk through this transition.