You start a sentence and can’t figure out where it was going till you backtrack and finally find the thread of thought process.
You debate whether it’s worth buying milk or if what’s in the refrigerator will make it two more days.
Your husband shows up in an outlandish shirt because there’s no decent hot weather shirts left in his drawer.
You get more email from the other side of the world more than from the side you are on. And emails from team members asking, "Who is meeting me?" because they haven't read THEIR email.
You go to church and people say, “Oh, are you still here?” (A little like being nine months pregnant.)
Everyone hugs you like you were leaving on a rocket to the moon and not just a flight to China.
You fall asleep going over lists and wake to the same lists running in your head.
The paper lists on your desk are beginning to diminish, each with a sigh of relief.
The bags in the staging bedroom are wide open and already groaning.
Your email box is full of notes from people saying “I’m praying for you.” That’s the best part of leaving. If only we could pray as fervently for each other when we are all together as we do when one of us takes off for the other side of the world. Why do we only pray for those who are going to touch lives in a distant city, beyond our reach, when we are to touch lives next door to us every day.
I’m leaving, but I’m not changing lifestyle or tasks or mandate.
Your last paragraph is something that has bothered me since I've put roots into the USA soil and ministry. Why don't we pray for each other in the same way? Why are ABF prayer requests only for people who are sick or with chronic conditions? Why is here so much more spiritually "safe" than there? I don't think it is. I need prayer for my life here as much as for there.
ReplyDeleteSo I'll pray with you and for you as you now go again. But I also do that when you are here.
Godspeed, my friend.