3 Weeks

Three weeks. That's the amount of time I have until the rolling hills of green become tan, sandy dunes, my bread choice is unleavened, I'm in the religious, racial, and language minority, and all the creature comforts of home are gone. Am I excited? More than you might think.

It's a bit to think about really, that is, what exactly it will be like to live long-term in a place where all of the aforementioned changes will take place. I don't know how exactly to prepare for these changes, or if I could be "ready" if I wanted to be, but I know that God gives us his grace when we need it; he doesn't provide it a moment too soon or too late. It's also helpful to know that there is a cluster of saints, our friends and family in Christ, that are committed to praying for us each day that we are away. Since I am confident that the Lord is faithful, his love is never changing, and his mercies never cease, I can be excited and eager about moving away.

Speaking of friends and family, I know that the hardest part of moving will be parting from those we love. As I think about when Chris and I started attending our church (I think in 2001 and 2000, respectively), we have had about seven years to grow with our family in Christ. We have seen and experienced several phases of life with many of them (ahem, you), all of which have been a joy to experience alongside of you. You've seen me come to know God, helped both of us grow in our walk with Christ, shared countless laughs, encouraged us in times of heartache, made fun of us, and counseled us in the way to go. We could not be who we are without you all.

I don't know what it will be like to have extended time away from my nuclear family, either. Chris knows what it is like to have to spend months away from his family, so in one sense he will be "used" to that, but the longest I've been away from Indiana is for two months. It's hard to think that I will miss a lot of my nephew's firsts, or that I can't just raid my parent's refrigerator whenever I'm cleaning or doing laundry at their house. Our parents have also shared many years of wisdom with us, as well as been our biggest cheerleaders. They've enabled us to reach beyond the narrow dreams we once held. Thank you.

Well, this blog post is turning sappy, but these are the realities that I face. At this point, I also want to put a plug in for the album Come Weary Saints. Though you can generally expect the same musical styling that characterizes the other recent SGM albums, I would venture to say this is my favorite. Some of the lines that I keep singing over and over come from Stephen's song, "So I Will Trust You."

"King of Glory, I know You love me
So I will trust You, yes I will trust You
God Almighty, You have saved me
So I will trust You, yes I will trust in You"

"How could I not trust my King
The One who has formed me and shaped me
I will rejoice and will sing
For the One who has made me has saved me"

Have a listen! In addition to my quiet times, the doctrinally sound lyrics of these songwriters have helped to guide my heart to the place of worship where it should be.

I know that God will bless us with countless opportunities to share the joys of Christ that we know. He'll also give us new friends and colleagues, so I can be excited for that, too. It will just be different.