“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens”
-Ecclesiastes 3:1
This verse took on new meaning for me this week. I had a pretty emotional past few days filled with plenty of goodbyes and tears. My college season has officially come to a close. I also moved out of my apartment today and left most of my friends back in Grand Junction. It has all been extremely bittersweet. While I’m excited for what’s to come, I know that I’m going to miss the routine of school, hanging out at the local coffee shops, and stargazing on the Monument with my friends. The last five years have been amazing, but now it’s time to say goodbye, move on, and start a new season.
Funnily enough, I’ve also realized that there’s a lot of beauty in goodbyes. With each teary goodbye I shared with my friends, I got to relive the amazing memories we shared. Goodbyes remind us of lessons we learned, laughs we shared, and stories we lived. There’s truly something amazing about being pushed to reflect on all the incredible friendships I’ve found. As hard as saying goodbye was, it’s given me the chance to remember all the wonderful moments I’ve been able to live through.
Goodbyes also prepare us for the next season. When I signed up for the World Race, I knew that it would require a lot of goodbyes, and while part of me is dreading that, another part also knows that it’s necessary. Something I learned in Beth Moore’s Chasing Vines study is that growth requires pruning. In order for vines to flourish and be fruitful, the branches need to be trimmed. It’s not just about getting rid of things that are holding you back or that you’ve outgrown, but also about challenging yourself. Growth can be painful, but with God at the helm, we can be certain that it’s the right path.
At this point, I’m still waiting for the reality of this whole thing to set in. I can’t believe that I’m really going to get to go on this adventure. I know that it will be the most challenging and most amazing year of my life. While I’m still a bit nervous about it and have days when I feel overwhelmed, I’m ready to follow God into this new season.
While it is true you are saying lots of goodbye where you won’t see people you love and care about for at least 11 months, it’s also true that the relationships you have built will stretch on into eternity. Can you imagine how awesome it will be to be able to connect with all the people you love and care about (without any of the messiness of the things that get in the way of authentic relationships) FOREVER? On top of that, you’ll be building lots of new relationships everywhere you go which you’ll also get to reconnect with in the Kingdom!