But every season, every chapter, means lots of goodbyes too.
That’s where I am right now. Looking forward to Mission Year, but acutely aware
of what I’ll have to leave before I get there. I’m back in T-town for the week,
seeing my roommates (114 for lyyyfe) and all the other wonderful people I
missed over summer.
Lots of ‘em are from the Church of Movement Toward Freedom, my
faith family here. I went yesterday to catch up, exchange phone numbers with a
few folks, and say goodbye again. In a lot of ways, it felt like a celebration
of the relationships I formed in the spring. The kids were there, which brought
back memories of homework help in the afternoons and sweaty games of tag at
twilight. The women were there, the ones who spoke so much truth and poured so
much love into my little freshman life. The songs we sang were powerful
reminders of the truths God pressed into my heart last semester (“I got J-O-Y,
joy, joy in the Holy Ghost!”).
One of the most poignant moments of the morning was when
Brother Willy sang a song that he wrote a few years back. At the time, he was
in a group home in another part of the country, and missing his family very
much. He explained that he was in a difficult place of rebuilding, and particularly
aware of his moment-by-moment need for the Lord. I scribbled down just a few of
the words:
“Everything I do, Lord, I'm tryin’The Devil do his lyin’
But Lord, I'm tryin’.”
In the midst of lies, he held to and acted on Truth.
What is the capital-t-truth? That God ruthlessly pursues His rogue creation. With my eyes turned to the coming months, I’m excited about understanding and communicating this in new contexts, with new people. And then, God-willing, eleven months from now, there will be another celebration of truth and love.
Y’all. This is going to be a CRAZY RIDE. Stay tuned! :)
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