After two decades of service in the US Air Force, my husband hung up his uniform, marking the beginning of a new chapter for our family. With all of us finally under the same roof and a more manageable schedule, we’re filled with anticipation for the future. Yet, amidst the excitement, the uncertainty of what’s next and the complexities of merging our parallel lives into one shared existence feel overwhelmingly daunting.
In the midst of swirling transitions, can I still find the mental clarity to write redemptively? The answer, though not without its challenges, is a resounding yes. Here’s how I’m navigating writing through this season of transition.
Accept the season.
The first step in writing through seasons of transition is to accept the reality of the season itself. Gone are the days of uninterrupted writing marathons or strict daily word-count goals. Instead, I’ve come to embrace a more realistic expectation: perhaps an article or a blog piece a week, maybe two if inspiration strikes.
Understanding that my mental and emotional bandwidth is currently consumed with processing the changes happening around me allows me to approach my writing with gentleness and grace. Rather than pushing myself to meet lofty expectations, I’m learning to honor the pace dictated by the season of transition.
Adjust your expectations.
In the midst of transition, it’s essential to adjust our expectations regarding our writing output. Gone are the days of rigid schedules and high-pressure deadlines. Instead, I’ve learned to prioritize flexibility and self-compassion in my writing practice. Rather than striving for perfection or productivity at all costs, I’ve adopted a more forgiving approach, allowing myself the freedom to write as inspiration strikes and as time permits. By relinquishing the need for stringent timelines and arbitrary benchmarks, I’ve found greater joy and fulfillment in the writing process, even amidst transition.
Experience the transition authentically.
Perhaps the most crucial aspect of writing through seasons of transition is allowing the space to fully experience the transition itself. Rather than viewing writing as a means of escape or distraction from the uncertainties of life, I’ve learned to see it as a tool for processing, healing, and finding meaning amidst change.
By leaning into the discomfort and uncertainty of transition, I’ve discovered a newfound depth and authenticity in my writing, allowing me to explore themes of redemption, growth, and hope in the face of adversity.
As I navigate this season of transition, I’m reminded of the importance of grace–both for myself and for my writing journey. By accepting the season, adjusting my expectations, and embracing the transition as an integral part of my creative process, I’ve found that it is indeed possible to write redemptively amidst the chaos of change.
Rather than forcing a project or pushing through the discomfort, I’m learning to trust in the ebb and flow of creativity, allowing my writing to evolve organically with the rhythm of life. And in doing so, I’m discovering that the most profound stories often emerge from the most unexpected of seasons.
What seasons are you writing through? And how can you let your experiences shape your writing?
New Earth Books
I’m sorry, children of my thought,
you can’t stay inside my head.
This is what disease has wrought:
you must live in verse instead,
and speak through meter and through rhyme
(I know it’s quite a task),
but I hope that in God’s time,
you will find the strength to ask
me for a broader, freer pen,
no fourteen lines’ constraint,
and in this brave Remember When
we shall together paint
the story-world we knew before,
made from trials to something more.
Wonderful!
Great wisdom, Megan, and congratulations on your new season!
I’m writing through the beginnings of an empty nest season. I have one child in college and the other halfway through high school. The challenge is real!
Adjusting expectations has been key for me. When I offer myself grace and do what I can do, I find writing sessions are much more productive.
Thank you, Megan. Perfect timing for me! We are also amidst a big transition. Just before I read your article, I stared blankly at my calendar, searching for white space. It’s become a challenge to squeeze in writing. My thinking & expectations need to change. 🙂
Just what I needed this morning, Megan! In the last dozen years, I’ve lost one house to a flood, another to a fire, and have now had to move because the owner of our rental sold the house. At least this time we get to keep our stuff, but I’m not sure that’s such a good thing. It seems like my full-time occupation over the last few months has been Professional Stuff Shuffler. Most of my writing time is spent journaling and processing. Hopefully, when I read back through it all later, there will be a few worthwhile nuggets to mine. Thank you for the encouragement and the reminder that I am far from the only one.
My daughter has moved in with me, so I’m in a season of transition. She visited me before, but now having her here full-time has changed my life, and I give myself grace to write when I can, and if I don’t get the opportunity to write, I don’t beat myself up about it.
Megan, thank you so much for this post. It really helped me today. Yes, sometimes it’s a switch to work with a different set of priorities. God bless you and thanks again, love always, Karen Roth
My husband and I have aging parents. During this season, we are spending a lot of time driving parents to doctor appointments and waiting in hospitals during their procedures. It’s hard for me to even think about writing sometimes.
Thank you, Megan. Sixteen months and three weeks ago today, my husband of 54 years died, just 44 days after his diagnosis of liver cancer. We had served in vocational ministry in the US and on the mission field in Chile for 38 of those years, then after he officially retired, he worked as a paid employee for a non-profit for at-risk youth until he got covid a few months before his death. This is BY FAR the biggest transition of my life. I have been half of team deeply committed to God and each other for more than half a century, always packing up our four children and changing my own jobs when God called him to start a new Christian school somewhere else– or move to South America to serve. I wrote, and wrote, and wrote my books, but never published them. As I increased my formal education to include a master’s and doctorate, I only published articles and edited books for others. Now I don’t know what I am supposed to do for the Kingdom as a widow. I believed I was led to write a Facebook column entitled The Widow’s Mites, and did write fourteen posts, but now I have posted nothing in more than two months, and since returning from a working sabbatical in Texas, my grief has nearly overwhelmed me at times. I work at a college. I consult for clients. I belong to a prayer group. I attend church. I go to grief counseling. I host a web site. I have four children and eleven grandchildren–eight of the eleven at least 500 miles away, so I travel; but three so close I get hugs every week. I appreciated your insights and will reread them for encouragement. I need all the help I can get right now!
Dear Linda,
Thank you for sharing your grief, and you wonderful service to the Lord through the years. I have been a widow for close to 17 years, working mostly alongside my husband and serving people in our community. Right after my husband died, I wrote in large letters on my computer reminders, cut them in short sections and posted them near light switches or mirrors in my major rooms to help me keep my eyes on God. I wrote: GOD IS MY HUSBAND
priest, provider, peace.
I underlined a different word emphasizing GOD, next the IS, then MY, and lastly HUSBAND. So a different word was standing out amongst each other. Some of them are still in place and it has constantly calmed and assured me of God’s watching over me and His love and presence to lead and provide.
Now is your time…to rest awhile in the charms of your Savior and let him give you a make-over. Love in Him,
Thank you, Megan. I, too, am going through serious transition. And have felt so guilty, not keeping up with the writing. Thank you for giving me permission to take a deep breath, be kind to myself, and see if perhaps God doesn’t have a different plan for me during this time. I needed to hear your words today.
Another winner Megan. If you think about it, we’re always in a state of transition. Each day brings a new adventure. We don’t have to eat the same amount or at the same time each day, but it’s prudent to take nourishment. For me, writing is a part of life…some feasting and some fasting. Continued blessings to you and your family .
Thank you, Megan. This was an interesting post that also describes my life since my husband has just retired. I have had to learn to plan for shorter writing periods and to lower my expectations.