This week, we got some sad news in our house.  Someone we thought was moving only four hours away from us in Pensacola is now going to be 30 hours away from us in San Diego!  That’s a pretty big jump.  All of the future visits over the next year had to be put on hold and new plans now have to be thought out to be able to visit.  It was hard news to hear and even harder to process.  One of the skills we’ve learned recently is to look at the word “temporary.”

Temporary is not permanent.  It is only for a short period of time.  While the situation we’re in might seem daunting and unmanageable, we can look at it as an obstacle that will not be in our way forever. 

That’s a hard concept to put into play!  When we’re struggling with a trial or we’ve just received some bad news, it can feel like it will never end.  We can feel lost and afraid, lonely or scared, maybe even hopeless.  When we’re in a period of waiting, it seems to go on forever.

However, when we shift our thought to the idea that there is an end to it, that it is momentary in the scope of our life, we can recognize the hope in the word temporary!  I can think of three times in the Bible that were temporary situations that give us hope today. 

Jesus died on the cross.  That circumstance was temporary as He rose from the grave three days later.  Jesus left this earth and ascended to heaven, but He will come again for us; this is only for a season.   This world is not our home.  It’s a temporary place until we see our Savior in heaven.

Praise God for temporary situations!  We can look at temporary as a period of growth, maturing, and hopefulness of the future.  We can look forward to what’s at the end and know that it will be beautiful!

I pray that if you are going through something right now, something that seems as if it will last forever, rest in the knowledge of the word “temporary.” While you don’t know how long temporary will be, Jesus is with you and on other side.

~Erin