The First of Many Lasts

As Glenn was saying goodbye to our sons and me this morning -- to head off on the two-day drive to our new place in Alameda -- it hit me hard that it was the last time we'd all be together in this house...the home in which we've lived for nearly ten years. What a decade it's been.

I'm sitting here in our family room, on a couch that doesn't belong to me, listening to the movers tape padding around our furniture. Our dogs, Max and Dweezil, are curled up on the floor, resigned to whatever fate is theirs. They know something's up, but they haven't a clue what it might be. Dweezil is staying close to me, but he always did. Max isn't eating, and he seems pretty depressed. I wish they could understand my words when I assure them that we will soon all be together in our new place.

But then I realize that's only a partial truth. "All" means Glenn, me, Max and Dweezil. Jake will probably stay with us for awhile, most likely after he drives the dogs from Tucson to Alameda (after we build a couple of fences with gates to secure the backyard). But then he will return to Australia...Caleb will be in Nebraska for at least a year...and most likely our nuclear family-of-four will never live in the same house again.

Now I know that kids moving away and having their own lives is normal; we've already experienced that in a few different seasons -- Caleb going to college, then YWAM in Canada, then living on his own; Jake going to YWAM in Australia -- but too many changes are happening at once, and that's hard for me. I like my changes to come one at a time, thank you very much...much like I'd rather have a 10-course tasting menu than have all the plates in front of me...too overwhelming. I want to taste each one, process each bite and savor the flavor before the next plate comes along. OK, so I also love a good buffet, but at least then I get to choose how much to pile on my plate. :)

Apparently God has decided I can handle a plateful of changes. Or maybe not. Maybe He knows I *can't* handle it, so I have to press into Him for His strength to endure this season.

And that's the whole point, isn't it?

"I can do all things through Him who gives me strength." -- Phil 4:13