A Letter About Transitions

I understand that transitions can appear to be hard. Some transitions can appear to be scary. They can even appear to be frightening. I know what is to go out of your comfort zone without knowing for sure what is on the other side. 

In 2019, I faced one of the biggest decisions of my life. I got married. And, although that was one of the happiest moments of my life, together with marriage, came the challenge of living in a new country, learning a totally new language, having a new job and having new responsibilities as wife. I am from Brazil, and, although my husband is also Brazilian, he has been living in Japan for almost eight years. That meant that, after marriage, I would live in a totally different country, culture and language, very much away from my family and most of my friends. I have to say that, sometimes, I caught myself asking if I was really qualified for all of those changes. 

I never had doubts about my decision of getting married. Since the beginning of our relationship, I knew that my life would change completely. But I also could not help thinking about how that new life would turn out to be. 

Having said that, I come here to tell you, who may be facing an important decision in your life, that there is hope! As I said, transitions may be frightening, but they can also be amazing. Transitions are important for our growth: through them, we can understand more about the love of God for us. I know that things may not always be easy, but I assure you that God is willing and is capable of giving us the necessary strength. 

In life, we all have to face natural transitions. For example, physically speaking, our bodies evolve throughout our lives. As we grow older, great changes happen in our bodies. That is just an example to show that all of us will face necessary moments of transition throughout our lives. However, what will differ a successful transition from a painful one is how you set your mind around that moment. 

Sometimes, we try to pass through a moment of change holding habits from the past, but we cannot step into new phases holding on to old habits. In the Bible, In the book of Matthew, chapter 9, verse 17, it says: “And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. For the old skins would burst from the pressure, spilling the wine and ruining the skins. New wine is stored in new wineskins so that both are preserved”.

That means that we should prepare ourselves to the new season. When we are kids, we tend to behave in a way; as we grow older, we learn new set of behaviors and, if we try to be adults holding on to the same childish behaviors, it will be extremely stressful and confusing to us and to those around us. If you are entering a new season, understand that there will be a renewed strength and learning for what you will face. 

We can also see the same example in marriage. After getting married, both of the parts have to be aware that, from now on, they are sharing their lives with each other. They cannot take one sided decisions anymore. In my case, before marriage, I was used to live with my parents; so, I had to understand that I would have to leave some habits behind and adopt new others. The same thing happened with my husband. We are both still learning, but that shows a commitment we made with each other and with ourselves to step into this new season successfully. 

I am not saying that it will be ” a piece of cake”, but your transition will be less painful and more enjoyable if you decide to face it with open heart and mind. The same way you cannot survive winter wearing summer clothes, you cannot face the new holding on to the past. 

Always remember that God is supporting you all the way! In the Bible, the books of Psalms, chapter 136, verse 26, says that the faithful love of God endures forever. The love of God is abundant and forever available to us. He is always ready to comfort us and to give us the strength we need. You have to be strong and courageous! Have in mind that, with a new season, new opportunities and experiences come along.

With love, 

Gabriella Kashiwakura