Moving Stinks, but God is still good.

I will be moving in about 6 weeks (I say about, because my move has to be coordinated with the current Pastor and the Trustees of the Church I will be serving, before I can move into my new home in the new community/churches I will serve).  This has resulted in many emotions as well as thoughts.  With any move, you begin to realize just how much stuff you have accumulated over time (I've been here 6 years and when my HH who had previously lived and worked in another community, retired, we moved him and everything from a 2nd household into this house, so yes it's rather full) and how much you can really do without.  So onto the process of getting ready to move - there has been a lot of sorting.  We have chosen the following as part of our process for purging a few items that we obviously don't need; we have a laundry basket that we put "give-away" items in (or items we need to return to their rightful owner), we have a laundry basket that we put smaller "for sale" items in (the bigger items we put sticky notes on), we have a laundry basket for items that need to go to good will or another charity of our choosing, and finally we have a laundry basket that is for items that just need to go to the dump or in the trash.  Each time the basket for each category is full, we stop purging long enough to either deliver items that need to be given away or have sold; we make a trip to the dump to get rid of the trash or we take the charity items with us when we make a trip to town.  So far the process seems to be going well, and I like that some of those items I'm not quite ready to part with are being enjoyed by someone else when we give them away or donate them to a charity.  Yes, moving stinks and I'm still not ready to move; but God is still good and I'm trusting Him through the process.  Now, to get back to purging, packing, and cleaning. 

Bittersweet moments

It always amazes me how we go through life with moments of joy and sadness all mixed together.  There have been so many bittersweet moments since the first part of March.  The 2nd Sunday of March it was announced that I would be moving to a new appointment, serving 2 churches in a different location.  Keep in mind I have been in my current appointment for 6 years, that is a long time to be in one place, and so I've made friends, built relationships, experienced many things with these people I call friends and family.  It was not an easy decision for me to make and yet there are many reasons why I must move on.  One, I agreed to go where called when I became a United Methodist Pastor and go I will and I truly am excited about the opportunities that lay ahead of me.  Two, my HH and I have been living apart for almost a year, since his move to his new appointment last July 1st.  When I say living apart, I mean over an hour and a half apart, seeing each other maybe once a week (usually more like every 10 days).  This appointment will put me only 20 minutes from him.  It will be so good to see him more often.  Three, I didn't want to be any further away from my Mom than I currently am.  She is in her late 70's and although very healthy, active, and spirited, I just feel a great need to be close to her and spend time with her.  This move while putting me closer to the HH won't put me any further from my Mom than I am now.  Fourth, we all need something new from time to time.  If we stay put, we sometimes get stuck in a rut, we get complacent and less effective.  I don't wish for any of that in my life - I like adventure (although some sense of security is nice) and I can't wait to see what God has in store as I minister with the people in these new churches.  So many tears already as I prepare to leave this place that I have called home for 6 years, so many moments that await.  A mix of the sad and the happy.  This is just one of the bittersweet moments that has come about in the last few weeks though - there is more.......

At the end of March our newest grandson was born and it was such a moment of joy that it almost overshadowed the loss we had endured just two days before.  Almost.  As I sat holding my new grandson I couldn't help but think of all the things he would experience in life; and yet, at the same time, I was praying for my friends who had lost their Dad unexpectedly and thinking of all the things they would no longer experience with him.  Maybe it was so bittersweet because it brought back the flood of emotion I felt when my own father passed away.  The hurt, the confusion, the uncertainty, the permanence of it all.  As I held my beautiful grandson, the tears began to flow and once again it was a mix of sad and happy.  Yet another bittersweet moment. 


I had someone say to me, "why is it that life is like that?  So many moments of joy and sadness mixed together?"  I didn't have an answer for her, but I do remember thinking, Jesus was no stranger to that kind of scenario.  He experienced much joy and much sorrow in the span of his lifetime.  Even Jesus had bittersweet moments.  Knowing that my Savior identifies with my moments, makes them okay.  Makes them less, well, bitter somehow.  So even in the midst of tears, I find joy knowing that God goes before me preparing the way and is with me in every moment, whether they are filled with tears or laughter.  Thank you God for knowing my heart and for wiping away my tears and appreciating my joy.