Always be Prepared

I am not one who tends to write about clothing (I being the one when someone mentions a certain brand of clothing will aptly respond with a blank stare). However, moving from North Carolina up to Massachusetts, I did not prepare well. December in North Carolina does not mean coat, jacket, and warm hat season (I washed my dad’s car in the middle of December once). December in Massachusetts, well, you better be prepared. Just the other day I found myself at a Young Life meeting cold in my shirt sleeve shirt. I wondered (as I tend to do) why I was so cold. Glancing around, I realized that everyone else in the room were warmly clothed in long sleeve shirts or was at least wearing a jacket/sweater. They knew the Massachusetts weather; I apparently have forgotten about it (it has been a few years). So, as was planned, my roommate and I got in my car and took off to Savers (a popular thrift store in Mass). My goal: to buy a few sweaters, long sleeved shirts, etc. Now, I am very much a jeans and t-shirt girl, so I had to tell Molly to keep me away from the t-shirt section (she succeeded). I have to brag…I walked out with a good buy. Next step in Project: Dress Katrina is: boots. Slowly, my wardrobe is adapting and transitioning to the colder climate.

Thankfully, my transition here at Gordon has run a bit smoother (and I haven’t found myself caught in the cold as often without a sweater – if you get my little analogy). I will admit tears have been involved, and I have had my doubts and struggles; however, the process of transitioning has been almost pleasant in some aspects. Maybe it was because, as opposed to my wardrobe, I was more equipped. A very dear friend shared with me her college experience (specifically her first few months of transition) and prepped me for mine. I knew tears would come; I knew I would struggle; I knew it would be hard. Has this made the transition process any less painful? Of course not! Change can be wonderfully good, but it can still hurt. However, by being prepared for what was to come (though we can never FULLY be prepared – things can still catch us off guard), I was (and still am for that matter) able to embrace the transition (pain and beauty).

So I will leave with this: 2 Timothy 4:2 mentions that we need to “be prepared in season and out of season.” So whether it is for an emotional transition, a geographical transition, or even a transition of wardrobe, let’s remember the wise Scout motto: “Always be prepared.”