The Long Goodbye

Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall, but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not be faint. Isaiah 40:28-31

Many of you have heard us call the last few months of our lives the long goodbye. It officially began when we had to say goodbye to our schools. Today, it continues as we say goodbye to our home.

It is odd to think that this is likely the last house I will own for many years. We have loved this house. Our children have grown up here. John was a toddler when we moved in. Our cats were kittens we took in when we bought the house. (We have placed one of them--Hallelujah!--with a family from church. Please continue to pray for us to place the other.) Sarah Beth has grown into a young woman of substance in this house. Hannah was little more than a toddler when we moved in here. Unbelievable to think we are leaving.

We have many wonderful memories here. Barry Bishop painted every room. I can still picture him on a stepladder painting Sarah Beth's room a terrible lime green color. Emily Grace, Sarah Beth, and Hannah put on a "date night" for the four of us, where there was dancing and music. Such sweet times. Pastor Alan did the recorded introductions for his radio show in the studio in Marc's office once a month. I can hear the two of them laughing as I sit here. Countless sleepovers, Sarah Beth and Elena making cookies at Halloween, absolutely covered in flour from head to toe, Kelly and Hannah running around the house and playing in the pool, a party for me when I finished grad school with sweet, precious friends...the memories are too many to count. How will we say goodbye?

The answer is actually fairly simple. We will say goodbye just as we have completed every other step of this process: we will cry some tears, we will comfort our children, and we will keep our eyes firmly on the One who has called. He did not promise us that this would be easy. He promised us that He would walk this road with us, and that He would make our paths straight. Straight, unfortunately, does not equal easy. He has directed every step of this process. He has so clearly put the pieces into place. There is no denying that this is His plan. Clearly, it would be easier to stay. But God's plan is always perfect, always the best for us. Our life here has been so good in so many ways, and we will always treasure this as the place where we finally answered God's call on our lives, but to stay here would clearly be sinful. If we are totally sold out to His way, then we have no choice but to take the next step. In the face of all He has done for us, how does any other choice make sense?

So many of you have asked about my parents and how they are taking all of this. My parents are fabulous. They have worked like dogs in our behalf, and we have laughed (okay, and cried) along the way together. I'm sure they have privately cried quite a few tears--I am the youngest of three girls in an extremely close family. My children are the second generation of grandchildren (my nieces and nephews are all in college or older), and they have loved being in on the many twists and turns of Sarah Beth, Hannah, and John. But make no mistake--I am exactly who my parents raised me to be. They taught all three of us to be real, hands and feet at work Christians. We saw what service meant first hand from them, and we knew up close and personal that Christian service was not always easy or glamorous. For my parents, and for Marc's, our call to the mission field is the harvest of lives lived for Him. It isn't easy...never think it is easy to leave my parents...but they are doing okay.

If you have been reading my blog, you know how concerned I am for my children's sense of safety, security and well-being. So many of you have prayed for the three of them, and I want to thank you. This week, they have had wonderful VBS teachers who loved them. Thank you. We have an unbelievable children's pastor, Ralph Estevez, who has kept an eye on the little ones as they have made their way through the long goodbye. Thank you. Hannah has had a best friend since she was a toddler--Kelly--and Kelly's whole family has been tremendous, but I especially appreciate pictures and notes her mom, Vanessa, has given Hannah. Thank you. And my precious, precious friend Janet, who is headed to Baltimore this week, took the kiddos for a very special day on Thursday, a day John is still talking about (especially the jumping fish). Thank you. A friend of mine going through a difficult time once wrote a note in which she said that what we did for her children, we did for her. I understand that better now. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

And so the long goobye continues. I am praying today for His strength, not mine. I'm praying to soar on wings ike eagles, to run and not grow weary, to walk and not grow faint. Blessings!

His,
Kellye