Some of the mountain passes in CO pose a legit risk of giving the backseat passengers whiplash if the driver is absent-mindedly flying at cruising speed rather than slowing down to the posted speed-reduction. Or, worse…it could send a vehicle sailing over the edge à la Thelma and Louise (for those of you who still appreciate a good 90's reference).
I feel like my family is currently suffering from emotional/relational whiplash.
The last several months flew by at cruising speed while our road was a mess of switchbacks and blind curves. By God’s glorious grace, we have not careened over the edge into a crevasse, but we are all rather worse-for-wear and more than a little bruised up.
Moving is hard when everything lines up perfectly. While much of the details came together in a way that demonstrated our Father is clearly with us and for us (and inexplicably kind to us), things happened so quickly that occasionally we have a moment of shocking realization like, “oh wait…I can’t meet that person for coffee/tea anymore,” or, “oh man…I didn’t realize how much comfort I drew from that.”
And that’s just the grownups.
Our daughter has been feeling the loss of dear friendships for a while…only now, more intensely. Our son is just now realizing that the fun of a new house does not include our friends visiting every week…which dampens the fun of newness.
There is a warm light over all of this though.
Pain over loss is evidence of real, dear, deep friendships. What a gift and a joy those are. The only way to avoid the pain of loss is to keep relationships shallow and meaningless. No thanks. I’ll take the pain. Plus…I keep managing to find God there.
In all our twisting turns, I am reminded of Augustine’s words:
God…who turns us back around toward you in marvelous ways...turn us around to you and show us your face, and we will be saved. In whatever direction the soul of a human being turns, it is struck with sorrow in any place but in you…Where are you going on that steep, rough road? Where are you going? The good that you love is from him, but only inasmuch as it is directed back toward him is it good and sweet. Otherwise it will turn bitter, and rightly so, because it’s not right to love whatever is in him while abandoning him.
The road is steep and rough, but He is at the end of it…and yet with us all the way.
We'll get there...together.