This week’s focus is on moving and transitions. Each year, I try to hit this topic as so many of the awesome readers of Ginger’s Corner are military folks. Military or not, sometimes we have to move, whether it is new schools, new addresses, new jobs, or new seasons in life. Transitions effect us all.

I am excited to share a post from one of my new friends, Carol Stratton. She has a great devotional out that is an encouragement for anyone who is moving. The following post is excerpted from her book, Changing Zip Codes: Finding Community Wherever You’re Transplanted, published by Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas.

 Big versus little.

Sometimes I feel like I have courage for the larger things in life, like surviving a car accident, giving birth to a premature son, or spending time living in a foreign country. It’s the little things where I fail, like fearing the walk into an unfamiliar church, unpacking and organizing a sea of boxes in my family room, or getting oriented to a new town. Yes, I can fly across the globe to a Bible college in New Zealand, but, “Please God, don’t put me on a freeway two miles away from my new house!”

Our Heavenly Father offers courage for all situations. He doesn’t rate our need and say, “You’re on your own for this situation; it’s only a 2.4 on the fear scale and I don’t mess with such trivial situations.” What kind of God would that make Him? No, He loves us enough to subdue our daily fears. When we do our part and take a first step, He will watch our back and take away our fear, but we need to make the first move.

In his book, The Neurotic’s Notebook, Mignon McLaughlin says, “Courage can’t see around the corner but goes anyway.” Lewis’s outlook on courage is: “Courage is not simply one of the virtues, but the form of every virtue at the testing point.”

Saying Boo to our fears!

If we are to be lean, strong men and women of faith, we can expect God to take us on some adventures where we know not where we are going. Courage opens the door and says “boo” to our fears.

What is your biggest fear about moving to a new area? Are you afraid your children won’t make friends? You won’t find a job? You’ll hate the weather? You’ll never see extended family? You will never grow to love that dark galley kitchen?

 Be direct.

Look your fears straight in the eye and take one little action today to conquer them. God is great at matching our timid first steps and will be there to keep us moving forward. Sometimes all we have is a community of two, but sometimes that’s enough…for a start.

Meet Carol:

Carol G. Stratton has been a freelance writer and speaker for over a decade in publications including  InTouch magazine, CBN.com, Kyria, Forsyth Women Magazine and theGrand Rapids Press as well as two anthologies, Writing so Heaven Will be Different (Wine Press) and Extraordinary Answers to Prayers (Guideposts).  She speaks to MOPS and other women’s groups about life transitions and personality temperaments. She is currently under contract for a women’s inspirational novel called Lake Surrender.