Through the Seasons

Getting Ready to Jump

The only way I can explain how I feel right now is to compare moving to Africa and jumping off the edge of the Grand Canyon.  Stay with me here.

When you go to the Grand Canyon you don’t just pull up to it.  You don’t see it for miles away and watch it slowly approach.  You drive through the forest and all you can see are trees.  The drive is long and beautiful but the scenery is very unlike what you’d expect to be surrounding the dry, colorful, barren chasm cut into the earth.  You can’t tell the difference between being 45 minutes away and 10 minutes away.  It’s just forests and greenery.  You settle in to the ride and as you get closer you don’t take your eyes off the trees.  You don’t even realize that just beyond your sight is one of the greatest wonders of all God’s creation.  You park at the canyon still not seeing it.  You begin to walk and abruptly the trees end and you are assaulted with beauty.  It’s almost too much to take in as fast as it comes upon you.  Just all of the sudden you’re THERE and it takes your breath away.

Welcome to my world.

We’ve been preparing one task at a time.  Slowly moving forward without really seeing how fast the time to leave was approaching.  We had our eyes firmly on the trees not realizing that just beyond our sight was the moment we’d be at the edge of our great adventure.  Just all of the sudden – boom – here we are.  On the edge.  Ready to jump.  And just like walking up to the Grand Canyon, our time for departure coming upon me took my breath away.  Now my senses are still trying to catch up with reality.  It’s awesome and exciting and beautiful and daunting and terrifying all at the same time.  Praise be to God who is the Maker, Creator, and Controller of all.  In that I can rest and have peace as I … jump.