leaving slowly
I am excited.
I am happy.
I am sad.
I am terrified.
And that's just before 10am. Lately I could easily be diagnosed with a multiple personality disorder. I swing from ecstatic to clinically depressed within 5 minutes. The boxes get higher in our apartment floor. The tears are getting thicker from the friends who stop by or take us to dinner or call us up to say goodbye. Watching your friends grieve your departure is one of the sweetest pains you can experience. It's wonderful to be loved, it's difficult to leave a support group that loves you... like that. Some of my dearest friends have come by to pack a box with me or give me a package of coffee to help me get through the packing stress and make me feel so loved, but knowing that there is no one, really, on the other end of this move that will be able to do that makes me prematurely lonely.
But beyond the pain of leaving our dear friends and family (don't even get me started on the difficulties of saying goodbye to family), there is a rewarding satisfaction that comes from knowing, without doubt, that the Lord has called us to what He has, and will take care of us. In fact, the leaving of friends and family to make this move to the northeast is actually part of His preparation of us to do His work. Right now the students that we will be ministering to are leaving their homes and friends and families for the first time, and we're gaining unique insight to what they are feeling right now, as well.
And we're learning trust. Living on support, living apart from those we love, living in the Lord and with each other, just hubs and me. We're trusting in God alone to pull us through this difficult goodbye, and are so excited about the fruit of this ministry that we will see as a result of our sacrifice. So while the sacrifice is huge... the reward is worth it.
But in the meantime, we covet your prayers, your tears, and still treasure every phone call, email, personal visit that we receive from each of you as we get ready to leave. As sad as it is to leave you, we want to keep saying goodbye.
I am happy.
I am sad.
I am terrified.
And that's just before 10am. Lately I could easily be diagnosed with a multiple personality disorder. I swing from ecstatic to clinically depressed within 5 minutes. The boxes get higher in our apartment floor. The tears are getting thicker from the friends who stop by or take us to dinner or call us up to say goodbye. Watching your friends grieve your departure is one of the sweetest pains you can experience. It's wonderful to be loved, it's difficult to leave a support group that loves you... like that. Some of my dearest friends have come by to pack a box with me or give me a package of coffee to help me get through the packing stress and make me feel so loved, but knowing that there is no one, really, on the other end of this move that will be able to do that makes me prematurely lonely.
But beyond the pain of leaving our dear friends and family (don't even get me started on the difficulties of saying goodbye to family), there is a rewarding satisfaction that comes from knowing, without doubt, that the Lord has called us to what He has, and will take care of us. In fact, the leaving of friends and family to make this move to the northeast is actually part of His preparation of us to do His work. Right now the students that we will be ministering to are leaving their homes and friends and families for the first time, and we're gaining unique insight to what they are feeling right now, as well.
And we're learning trust. Living on support, living apart from those we love, living in the Lord and with each other, just hubs and me. We're trusting in God alone to pull us through this difficult goodbye, and are so excited about the fruit of this ministry that we will see as a result of our sacrifice. So while the sacrifice is huge... the reward is worth it.
But in the meantime, we covet your prayers, your tears, and still treasure every phone call, email, personal visit that we receive from each of you as we get ready to leave. As sad as it is to leave you, we want to keep saying goodbye.
posted by Bonnie @ 11:06 AM
1 Comments
