Phase Changes

I had a friend complain to me recently that he felt like he was “stuck.” He felt like life was sitting stagnant and he was frustrated with the lack of growth that was happening in his life. I could relate to his frustration because at times, I have felt this way too. Sometimes, it seems like everything is in a holding pattern and I worry that it will never get going again. Another nagging feeling I have at the back of my mind is that others might view this lack of progress as laziness or even failure.
I know many people who go to the Bible to help find guidance for such times. That may work, but I find similar reassurance in my notes from my high school chemistry class. Honestly, the only reason I passed chemistry is because I made friends and became lab partners with some of the smartest kids in school. However, the one lesson that stuck with me was the theory of phase changes in matter.
Matter can appear in the forms of solids, liquids, gases, or even plasma. The difference between one form of matter and another is simply the rate at which the particles are moving. The rate at which the particles move is directly correlated with the temperature of the material. We’re all familiar with the phases with which water can change. When it’s frozen, it’s solid ice. As the temperature of the substance raises, it turns into a liquid and as the temperature raises even more, it becomes water vapor. Of course, these changes don’t just happen at random. There are specific temperatures at which these events occur. Here’s the part I find fascinating about these melting/freezing/boiling points—the temperature of the substance will continue to change until it reaches one of these points. Once the temperature reaches the point of phase change, the temperature ceases to increase or decrease. Although the readings from a thermometer would indicate that nothing is going on, this is actually the moment in which the greatest amount of transformation occurs. The temperature will not resume it’s climb or descent until all of the particles of the substance have completed the phase change.
Perhaps this same philosophy could be applied to that feeling of “being stuck.” Even in times when it feels like growth or change is eluding you, do not despair. This could be the time when the greatest transformation is actually occurring. So, be patient with yourself, prepare for the change like you know it’s going to happen, and be ready to celebrate when you realize your accomplishment.
--Robin