The Upper Room Daily Devotionals in Nashville, Tennessee, United States "Trusting God through Transition" for Monday, 23 January 2017 with Scripture Genesis 28:15-16

The Upper Room Daily Devotionals in Nashville, Tennessee, United States "Trusting God through Transition" for Monday, 23 January 2017 with Scripture Genesis 28:15 Look, I am with you. I will guard you wherever you go, and I will bring you back into this land, because I won’t leave you until I have done what I have promised you.”
16 Ya‘akov awoke from his sleep and said, “Truly, Adonai is in this place — and I didn’t know it!”
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“Am I only a God nearby,” declares the LORD, “and not a God far away? . . . Do not I fill heaven and earth?”[Jeremiah 23:23-24 (NIV)]
When I moved to the bustling metropolis of Istanbul, a city of more than 15 million people, God seemed distant and unconcerned. My wife, our two children, and I had moved into a small apartment in a crowded part of the city. It was at the crossroads of two busy streets. The traffic noise was unlike anything I had ever experienced, and it seemed to be constant throughout the day and night. The Muslim call to prayer rang out from several different mosques in our neighborhood. I was feeling a bit lost and distant from God. Confronted with unfamiliar surroundings and new sights and sounds, I began to wonder,
Lord, did I hear you correctly? Are you really with me in this move?
Then I remembered what God asked in Jeremiah 23:23, “Do not I fill heaven and earth?” I realized that God was encouraging me to trust in the One who is always steadfast, even as I dealt with so much change and uncertainty. I could never escape God’s care and nearness, even in this faraway and unfamiliar place. In fact, during the days and months that followed, God’s presence became more real to me than it ever would have been had I chosen to stay in my comfortable surroundings.
Read more from the author, here.
"The God of More than Enough"

“Some of my biggest regrets during transition have revolved around missed opportunities with God, family, and friends. The problem was with my perspective. I was seeing transition as an obstacle to pass through as quickly as possible rather than an opportunity to experience God more deeply and make some memories with the ones I love.”[Transition Companion by Tim Austin]
“My daddy said it best in his new book Transition Companion. It’s become my favorite morning read.”[Adrianne]
The first quote above is from my book and the second is a comment taken from a recent Facebook post by my oldest daughter. I was reminded of why I penned those words. It's because I so often find myself in a rush to get to the next thing, missing out on joy and peace in the moment. Whether I'm in transition or not, my perspective has a direct influence on my approach to life, and my perspective is too often scarcity. Let me explain.
I recently attended a webinar taught by author and life coach Jerome Daley. It was for Christian life coaches who desire to grow personally and professionally. The topic revolved around three big story themes by which we tend to measure our degree of satisfaction. These themes mirror our emotional programming for personal fulfillment. Where we land determines how "happy" we feel. The themes are:

1. Performance to Belonging
2. Scarcity to Abundance
3. Fear to Trust

The attendees were challenged to consider their personal go-to theme(s). The middle one was highlighted for me. So often I consider time as something scarce. There is never enough time, or so I've been programmed to think. But what if God, who operates out of a place of abundance, gives me more than enough time? What if God desires to give me the perspective of his eternal timeline?

• Do I really believe God is the God of More Than Enough?
• How might I structure my moments, my days, my week differently by going from a place of scarcity to abundance, as it relates to time?

I'm determined in 2017 to seek a perspective shift from scarcity to abundance. How about you? What is your go-to theme? And how might you move from one end of the spectrum to the other in the new year?
On a different note, my wife and I just celebrated 25 years of marriage. We decided to celebrate with a two-day excursion to San Francisco (see photo above). I'm truly blessed with her faithful and loving companionship, adventurous spirit, and contagious love for her Lord.
Grateful,
Tim Austin
About Tim
Tim Austin is a certified Life and Leadership Coach and ordained minister.
Tim believes that transitions, in their many forms, are fertile ground for personal and professional growth. He is the founder of Encompass Life Coaching, a consulting firm dedicated to coaching fellow transitioners in the marketplace, in ministry, and in missions. Prior to engaging as a full-time life coach, he dedicated himself to a life overseas. The adventure led him to Central Asia, where he gave vision and management to non-profits, international churches, and small businesses.
Tim thrives in culturally diverse contexts, contributing his gifts and skills for the common good.
Tim is the author of Transition Companion: Tips and Encouragement for Navigating Seasons of Change. He blogs at encompasslifecoaching.com.
He and his wife Eve have three amazing kids, one dog, and a marriage going on 25 years. Tim lives in the mountains of Northern California.
Tim cannot imagine mornings without coffee, life without the great outdoors, a home without kids (two out of three have left the nest), or an existence without God.
You can check out Tim's blog here: http://www.encompasslifecoaching.com/encompass-highlights/.The Author: Timothy Austin (Turkey)
Thought for the Day: God is nearby — even in faraway places.
Prayer: Dear Lord, help us to trust you with the uncertainties of life’s transitions. In lonely and uncomfortable surroundings, may we turn to you, our constant companion. Amen.
Prayer focus: Those in transition

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