A clumsy exit...

In my head we said our good-byes, tied up loose ends, had a tidy packed car and drove gracefully into the sunset.

The reality is that the good-byes are really really hard.  The loose ends may never be tied.  The car will  be full to over flowing and I'm nervous about the drive.

These few weeks between school getting out and leaving are awkward because childcare is a little messy (and expensive!) and the princess is being shipped here, there and everywhere.  Meanwhile, I'm trying to cram in final meetings and packing, then preaching and packing, then having some fun(!) and packing.  There is nothing graceful about it.  To top it off I found out I have mono (again!) -- this is the third time for me! I'm relieved to have some answers as to why I have felt so awful for the last month.  However, I seem to be getting worse, not better.  Anything more than an hour on my feet has me serious ill...so Sunday morning church was taxing: spiritually, emotionally and physically.

So, we're clumsily exiting Oregon (for now). The princess is feeling the good-bye, especially saying goodbye to her friends and the youth from church.  I so wish I could guard her from the pain of good-bye, but it will be a reality for the rest of her life, so she's getting the practice of doing it well.  Saying good-bye to the people here is much harder than I imagined it would be.  In the last week alone I've spent time at a little league game, birthday party, gone out to dinner and coffee dates, walked with my walking buddy and endured a Relay for Life event... and all these little moments make me feel like we've really become a party of the community here! Why do we have to leave when its just getting so good? I keep having to remind Micaela (and myself!)  that for every good-bye, there is a hello.  And we have many wonderful hellos to say! Its taken a long season of doubt and unknowns and now I feel a real sense of peace and purpose.  Purpose for what? Well, I don't know that yet...but I will, some day.

Here is hoping for health and wholeness and a paged turn.