Last MOPS

So, our last MOPS (Mothers of PreSchoolers) meeting of the year was today which meant time for sharing about what MOPS has meant to you. In the interest of full disclosure, I was thinking "Give me a break!" MOPS means time away from Natalie on Friday mornings to spend time with other women. Period. But as people started sharing and crying of course I joined them in the crying. I also started thinking about what they were saying. I realized that MOPS has meant more to me than that but I also started thinking about the journey that our family has been on over the past year and the way that God has been so faithful. I also started thinking about the deep need that each one of us has to be in community with others and realizing how thankful that I need to be for the way that God has given that to me in every part of my journey.

One woman's story especially resonated with me. She has been in the Northern Virgina area for six years now and is looking at a move this summer. She talked about how she came to this area kicking and screaming and crying. She did not want to be here but now she can't imagine leaving. I, too, came to this area crying! I cried for months before we left. I cried everyday the week before we left. I cried for most of the drive up here. I was so sad. I left the people that I love. I left my dearest friends. I left being close to my family. I left a church family that had known me for six years. I left all the streets that I knew and stores that I loved (I now know that Target and the Teeter are everywhere and I even found a two-story Kohl's), I left the first house we owned as a family, I left co-workers that were like family to me. What could Northern Virginia possible have to offer...

Northern Virginia has a lot. Northern Virginia has good people, good shopping, good churches, good libraries, good parks, good stuff! Guess what, God is in Northern Virginia too and He has good things planned for me here too! I am achieving career goals that would have been much harder in other areas. I am getting opportunities to work with amazing people on international projects. God is growing our marriage. The bad news in all of this is that I am pretty certain that I am going to be sad when moving day comes again!

I very wise person in my life has said to me that if you are sad when you leave somewhere it means that you have lived well there. Sure, I could have kept myself closed off and pined away for North Carolina for two years but what good would of come from that? God wants to grow me and for me to be living life to the fullest wherever he places me. For me, living life to the fullest means being involved in people's lives, having friends, and caring for people.

I can say that every transition in life has been hard but I guess I should be thankful for that. I always doubt that God will provide friends and community again but he always has and will. When I left high school I was certain that I would never find such good friends again. The same with college. The same with leaving Winston. The same in a year from now.

To those of you who have made leaving hard, thank you! I love you! You are what make life worth living! The good news is that I have another year to invest here before I rip my heart out by leaving.