Hello Goodbye

This is the current state of my living room. More importantly, and I am slightly embarrassed to admit as much: this is the cleanest and most organized my home has been in a long time.
























Ok, I digress. Anyway, I have redecorated in cardboard not in a misguided attempt at minimalist, modern home decor, but because we are moving. To Texas.  In a week. Cue hyperventilation. End scene.

We are actually quite excited to move to Lubbock, Texas so my husband can begin his new hob as an associate pastor at Raintree Christian Church.  Even the girlies are counting down the days. Their excitement was of course subsequent to the required crying and requisite guilt trip for ruining their entire life by ripping them away from all of their friends. Five minutes later they were asking how big their rooms would be and could we go any sooner.  But, it's often that way for kids, isn't it?  The pain of goodbye gets so quickly and easily eclipsed by the excitement of hello.  The girls have completely embraced the idea of moving. It's a joy to see  all of the fears which normally accompany a huge change like this have not overshadowed their exuberance and gleeful anticipation.

I had a glimpse of my nine-year-old's outlook and wisdom the other night at dinner when we had the following conversation:

Erik: So they (friends of ours) wanted to know if we were going to put you in school to help you make friends.

Jilly: Why?

Erik: I guess because it's a new place and you won't know anybody right away.

Jilly: Ok, but school can't make friends for you. You have to do that yourself.

The proper response in our house to such a wise beyond her years remark is as follows: Place right hand on right side of your head. Make the blowing up sound and accompanying hand jester. Because, yeah, she blows our minds.

But, Jilly is spot on the mark. Fear is not trusting God to provide wonderful opportunities and not trusting yourself to have the courage to seize those opportunities. Jilly knows God will bring friends into her life. She also knows, she's going to have to put forth some effort to make friends.

Erik's grandfather, who became a very dear and precious man in my life, told me the first night I met him to never say goodbye. Goodbye was too final, he said. Instead, it was, "See you later."  In fact,  the last time I saw him, just before he passed away, the last thing I said to him was, "See you later." So it is with the goodbyes I must say in a week. They are not forever goodbyes. They are simply a see you later in which the later is just a little further off.

And the hellos? Well, often those can be even scarier can't they? But for me, it is hello to a whole new set of friends, opportunities and possibilities. And maybe, just maybe, hello more regular blogs posts. Well, let's not get ahead of ourselves.

So, Hello, Lubbock. And to all of our friends and family we leave behind...

See you later.