Friday, February 28, 2014

A departure

We have tickets.  We leave on Monday.  The other day, we met as a team to let everyone know the news of having to leave.  Cru has made the call for us to leave for our own safety.  There were many tears.  There have been many tears amongst the team over the past few days.  The Americans, the Venezuelans, tears.  There's no point in fighting them.

It's sad.  It's heartbreaking.  We're all packing our things, trying to figure out how to say goodbye in a matter of days.  For many of the students, it might be hard to come and say goodbye.  Many live far away.  We're having a goodbye party tomorrow, so hopefully many can come.  This is not what we wanted for closure, but it will have to do.

As I read this I have to pause.  In tears, Leah is trying to console me.  "Mama, why are you crying?  I need to know why you're crying.  Oh don't cry.  I want to make it better.  I love you soooo much."  It's heartbreaking that my three year old is comforting me right now.  I appreciate it.  Don't get me wrong.  However it is sad that she doesn't understand the impact that this makes on us, on our family, on our hearts.  But we trust the people in leadership over us and we respect them.


The following Psalm has become so much more real to us this week, as we mourn, as we pack, as we say goodbye.  We have to trust the Lord, even when it's hard, even when we don't understand.  We have no other choice.  We are heartbroken, but we choose to trust in the One who brought us here in the first place.

The Lord Is My Shepherd
23 A Psalm of David.
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.
He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness
for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
forever.

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