Breathe Air

I'm breathing here.  That's pretty good considering my nose is all stuffed up...again.

But really, I am breathing.  I'm dreading next week.  Saying good-bye is never easy and for me it's especially difficult.  I keep praying for grace and mercy through this time.  Grace for myself and grace for the people we'll be leaving and saying good-bye to.

I've realized that there's a chance that with some or even all of these people I may never see them again until eternity.  That's a terribly difficult thing for me to wrap my mind around.  I want to be able to say I'll see them again soon, but the reality of it all can be daunting.  On the other hand, all of the difficulty of it makes eternity more of a reality.  I hope that makes sense.  I know there will come a day when I'll see all of these people again and that day might not be until eternity.  There's something beautiful about that.  It makes me realize that eternity is actually going to happen.  I will see these people.  What a beautiful hope God's given us in the times of difficulty!

I don't want to lessen the fact that it's going to happen or that it will be no big deal.  Because it's still hard.  But there is another glimmer of hope and it's beautiful.

That brings me to another thought.  Hope is beautiful.  I've come to see that more and more in the time I've spent here, in my own life and in the lives of the people here.  We have a hope that is put in Christ and it's incredible.  It's meaningful and it is not for nothing.  I'm convinced more and more that my faith and hope in Christ is not in vain.

That's powerful.

I want people to know this hope.  I want to see people here in Lochalsh, Scotland changed.  I want to see their lives changed and shaped into incredible things by God.  I want that to be a reality.  My heart's calling out...screaming inside of me for that to happen.  I want to see it happen, I want to be apart of it.

There are incredible things that have been done and many many things to do.

Right now, I just need to breathe...and continue pressing on in the grace and strength of God.