scattering

I have quite a few friends that are going separate ways.
Several are moving out of the area.
Church changes.
Job changes…

This one is for them.

 
A letter to my friends that are scattering.

First and most importantly
You are loved.
You are appreciated.

I know sometimes life throws us all curveballs.
Sometimes completely out of the blue.

I know this is the case for a lot of you.

I just want you to remember that nothing surprises God.
This chapter of your life, although it is now coming to a close, has had purpose.
It has.

We may not see that purpose until down the road a few years.
We may never fully see it.
And that’s ok.

Because the life that you have lived up until this point has shaped you.
It has molded you.
It has taught you a lot.
It will continue to teach you.

I have seen it bring some of you to a place you never thought you would be.
To do things you never thought you would do.

I want to tell you how amazed I am by your faith.

Some of you are jumping out into the unknown.
In many ways.

Please remember that the God you serve today
Is the same God of tomorrow.
And all the tomorrows to come.

You can trust Him.

It seems like forever ago that we were moving across the country.
But I still remember the fear.

I was leaving my family.
That terrified me.

I was leaving the familiar.
That terrified me.

But you know what?
That time was the most amazing adventure.
It was the time when I was my strongest.

Not because I was amazing.
Not because I did anything special.
But because it was when I clung to God with everything in me.

No, your life will not look the same.
That’s ok.

No, your church experience will not be the same.
That’s ok.

Stepping into the unknown holding the hand of God is
Safe.

Walking into the doors of a new home.
A new job.
A new church.
Can be scary.

It may not feel comfortable at first.
You may question your choice.
You may question God’s plan for you.
You may look back.
You may question the past.

You may be sad.
You may wish you could have changed things.
You may miss how things were.

You may question.

Questioning isn’t bad.
It doesn’t mean you do not have faith.

I pray for a place where you ‘fit.’
I pray for you to find your ‘people.’

I pray for your kids.
They will be ok.
They will be ok.

I pray for peace for you.
A peace that overwhelms you.

And an amazing future.

May you have the ability to look back on this chapter of your life with fondness.
May you continue to see the hand of God guide you.
May this experience make you sensitive and strong.
May you walk forward with confidence.

I cannot wait to see how God continues to write your story.