The Art of Departure

2 years I began a blog with adventure in mind. God had changed a lot in a little amount of time, and this was the place to record all that came to be. As the months passed and the blog continued, it seemed that, in a way, this site had become a record of departures. In 2011 I left for India and then a month later left for California. What followed was a significant departure for Arizona and finally, leaving the place I had arrived at just two years ago, I returned to Georgia.

In just two short years I embarked on a moving train of change four separate times. Each departure was significant, life-changing, and not without its difficulties. Each led to adventure, discovery, passion, and growth, but brought their own share of challenges and baggage.

And as I reflect back, I can see that what has been beautiful about all of these departures is that they have led to places and journeys that have formed me. Every chapter has helped to lead me to the station at which I stand today. A new chapter, a new adventure is now beginning, and there is no telling how it will alter my life, my person, and my heart. I am confident that I will not come out of this one unscathed. I know that the next time I have a chance to look back, to remember this day, it will not be the same eyes that see or the same person that reflects. These journeys have been risky, far riskier than I would have ever chosen on my own, but I wouldn't change a thing.

There is a certain beauty in coming and going. I think it lies in the mixture of love and loss, old and new, being and yet not being. It is a wealth of emotions to be connected in so many places, and the beauty intermixes with the challenges to create something far more profound than we originally set out to imagine. We have one life to live, and I have chosen to live mine as a nomad, a wanderer with a purpose, a follower of faith and a seeker of adventure. I have chosen to leave loved ones behind and serve God wherever He calls me, from India, to California, to Arizona.

Sure, I stride onto the awaiting plane with a strong mix of apprehension, excitement, anxiety, and anticipation, but I know that this adventure will be worth it. I know that this is the start of something new, and that the view painted beyond the horizon will be transformative. 



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