The Bittersweet Taste of Transition

Our oldest son, MD, just informed us that he’s been offered a very good summer job with his school Calvin College. This means he’ll not be home for the summer.

Which also now means, for all practical purposes, he’s left home and will only be back to visit.

Denise and I knew this would happen at some point when we dropped him off in September for his freshman year. We just didn’t think it would be so soon. We figured he would be back for one more summer, maybe two.

It’s a transition we wanted and knew would be coming. We’ve raised him, as we’re raising our other kids, to become an independent adult who will make a difference for Christ’s Kingdom in this world.

So we are proud that he’s been offered this opportunity for the summer. It’s sweet because it’s right in line with his goals and our dreams for him. But it’s also bitter because it means his life is no longer centered in our home in Evart.

This is what makes every transition bittersweet. Transition means leaving things behind, to move past what was – which can be bitter. But transition also offers the hope of growth and renewal – which is sweet.

The question Denise and I have to answer is “which of these two sides of transition do we embrace?”

Well you know the answer – we are going to celebrate MD’s summer job. We’re going to be thankful for all the good decisions MD has made, his hard work, his commitment to Christ and the opportunities these have provided for further growth in his life.

There is no denying that transition is bittersweet but it’s our choice which side of the flavor we embrace.