This has been a season of many goodbyes. Each family, every person
left footprints on our lives. They were all part of our journey, in some way,
big and small. We have watched many of them grow up, get married, have babies,
say yes to Jesus, go on mission trips to far away countries, take jobs in
different cities, and go separate ways.
Each goodbye is
hard. Really hard. When I see their posts on Facebook it makes it real that we
are not going to be living life together anymore. When we pray over them I
struggle with tears thinking about how much we will miss them. When I see my
kids crying or asking if "they" are ever coming back again, I
sometimes ask myself if loving people so much is worth it.
In a few weeks,
two guys who are dear to my heart, have both opened new chapters in their
lives. This means they are leaving. More goodbyes. While I am so excited about
their new adventures and support them following the path God has them on, my
heart grieves! I will miss them! They have both made such a huge impact on me,
my kids, our community, and our church. We have shared so many life experiences,
highs and lows, and celebrated a lot of milestones together. They are more than
friends they are FAMILY! The spirit bonds us in a way like no other, knitted together by a higher power!
I have constantly
taught that community matters! Even when it hurts. Even when it's hard. Even
when you feel the loss deeply. When someone leaves they should LEAVE A HOLE IN
YOUR HEART. A hole in your schedule, in your life, and in your church. It means
they were loved, they were engaged, and they served. The hole represents time
that was spent building relationships that went beyond the superficial, deeper
than the surface. The hole represents the memories of laughter, tears,
heartaches, growing pains, mistakes, successes, frustrations, joys, Monday night dinners, and everything in between!
As I am bawling my
eyes out writing this, God promises to fill that hole with His love and He
reminds me that most importantly, we are a community of believers that have a
common purpose. It's bigger than me, them, all of us. We were united together
to bring the hope of Jesus to the heart of the city! Committed to love God and
loving others. So the answer to my question, "Is it worth it to love so
much?" YES, OH YES! I wouldn’t trade it for the world or for not feeling
the pain or shedding the tears! I am a better person for knowing all of YOU!! I
am blessed and honored to have walked with each of you, some just a few steps
and some years of being messy together!
#communitymatters
#Teeds #Gomez #Harrisons #Livingoods #Kims #Ricky #Trey #Josh #Steyearts #Lauren #Boices #Austin #Baldridges #Banks #Phillips #Johnsons #Clarks #Pinkletons #Prices #Elizabeth #Megan #Jordan #Levi
"They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved." Act 2:42-47
