We had dinner at The Bluewater Grill in Grand Rapids with our friends from church that we've been working in ministry, side-by-side, for five years now, last night. Besides the beautiful atmosphere and awesome food, we had the privileged honor of breaking bread one last time with these folks who've been so instrumental in our maturation of this calling.
It, as are many of our meetings these last two weeks, came with a sense of bitter-sweetness to the table. On the one hand I can hardly contain myself with how excited I am to be going to Seminary, finally, after all these years. On the other it means we have to say goodbye to a lot of really wonderful people whom I will miss more than words can express.
Remembering the first days we met, the conversations we've had over the years, and witnessing so many dreams come true in each other's ministries...man, it's really hard not to get emotional about these guys. Addressing my hopes and fears have been helpful but not the "cure" I was thinking it would be. Which leads me to believe that the love I have for my church, the people in it, and my friends I ministered with will sustain me in those days when I long for something familiar...when I ache to just have a group of people recognize me without me having to introduce myself, my family, and tell everything all over again in the hopes that maybe this one will stick.
I love meeting new people, don't get me wrong, but it's exhausting at times to not be known by anyone. A good exhausting though, for I know the loneliness is only for a season while the seeds of friendship grow. So, it's not really "good-bye" because we're just transplanting to a new garden which wouldn't have been possible had we not gotten our roots in such fertile soil to begin.
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