The Discomfort of the Shift
Why The Transition Is Messy But Necessary
A couple months ago, my building was purchased by a new corporation. I was talking with some of my neighbors, and they were sharing all the negative things that came with the change; how much rent would increase, how the old staff lost their jobs and were forced to relocate. They made this new corporation seem like the big bad wolf. If you’ve ever had a conversation with me, you know I try to see the positive in almost everything, and I try to verbalize an alternate perspective in any circumstance. So, I tried to share how this could be a positive change and all the good that could come from it.
A couple weeks went by, and I started to notice things going downhill. The main issue was the dog park, it had taken a turn for the worse. There were no dog trash bags, so people stopped picking up after their dogs. Then the cleaners stopped maintaining the dog park altogether, and it quickly became overloaded. They eventually put bags back, but by then people were so used to not cleaning up that they still didn’t. I was talking to my neighbors and complaining about it, and after a few days I finally said, enough is enough. I decided to go to the leasing office and voice my concerns.
Because of that first conversation with the residents, I walked into the office a little biased and honestly expecting the worst. To my surprise, the leasing agent was incredibly warm and friendly. I shared all of the issues, and she told me that someone else had already submitted a request and that they were actively working on it. She explained that because of the holidays and the transition, things might feel slow right now, but once they settled in, things would improve. They were aware of the problems and were actually working to restore things to be even better than before.
She ended the conversation by saying, “I know this transition may feel all over the place, but after the storm, the sun will shine again. We have so many amazing things on the horizon for this property and for the residents. The best is ahead.”
After that conversation, I went to the dog park with gloves and trash bags and cleaned up the entire mess. I just wanted to do my part. As I was doing it, I received a revelation from the Holy Spirit: “The shift is messy.” As I sat with that and dug deeper, I realized it was bigger than the mess I was physically cleaning, it applied directly to my life.
The shift and the transition are messy, but what’s on the other side is beautiful. A shift can mean so many things. It can mean releasing control and fully surrendering to God. It can mean shifting into a higher purpose. It can mean moving from being like Martha, overworking and overwhelmed, to being like Mary, choosing to sit with Jesus. Whatever the shift looks like for you, I’m here to remind you: it may look messy, but you have no idea what’s waiting for you on the other side of it.
You can’t let fear of messy beginnings or uncomfortable transitions stop you from doing what’s necessary. The company that purchased my building knew the beginning would be messy. They knew there would be growing pains, but that didn’t stop them from making the purchase because they understood that once the dust settled, it would be worth it.
I was reading my devotional a few days ago, and it talked about how babies come into this world upset because they’re leaving the comfort of the womb and entering the unfamiliar. It explained that this is the same for us. God pushes us from the womb to the birth canal, meaning He pushes us from here (where we are) to there (where He’s calling us). The in between is that obscure place of transition. Like babies, our “birth canal” may feel tight, dark, and uncomfortable, but the best is always on the other side of birth.
I’m also reading Hinds’ Feet on High Places, and although I haven’t finished it yet, the entire book centers around the shift. It’s about the journey from low places to high places. It’s about the in between, the part we naturally try to skip. We run from what we don’t understand because, as humans, we crave control. We want calculated risks. We want outcomes we can predict. But that’s not how God calls us higher.
The shift is messy, and you cannot avoid it. Trying to wait for a cleaner, more comfortable route will only delay your journey to where God is calling you. It’s a new year. 2026 will come with highs and lows. The question is: how long are you going to delay your transition because you want to skip the mess? I’m here to tell you, God will push you even when you aren’t ready. Our responsibility is obedience. Follow His instructions.
People often talk about how their life suddenly changed, about the shift, and how they made it to the other side. But I think we do a poor job of talking about the messy middle. We glamorize starting something, and we celebrate finishing it, but no one talks about the middle. The middle is where the mess is. The middle is where you learn. The middle is where things actually happen. The beginning is exciting. The ending is rewarding. But the middle, that’s where it really counts.
So many of us quit in the middle because it’s confusing, uncomfortable, and messy. But the middle is where we’re formed.
I used to wait for the bigger picture before taking the first step. But God pushed me anyway, and now I’m in a season of full dependence on Him. When you’re obedient in the small steps, you may eventually see the bigger picture, but even if you don’t, that’s okay. God doesn’t owe us the full plan. Trust means following His direction without needing all the details, believing that He has a purpose and that it will all work together.
It’s the first Monday of 2026. Will you delay action because you don’t know what’s on the other side? My devotional asked, “If you pushed through the discomfort, what do you imagine God might have for you on the other side?” So I’ll ask you the same.
The mess will be there whether you start today or wait until 2030. You cannot avoid the discomfort, but you can choose obedience. Step anyway. Trust anyway. Walk through the mess anyway, because on the other side of the shift is everything God promised.
