I'm in the midst of quite a few "endings" and holding space for those feels important to me. This week I'll work my final shift as a PRN Chaplain at the hospital. I'll also work my final internship day at Covenant Woods. Yesterday, I led my final worship and preached my final sermon at Covenant Woods. In a few weeks I'll preach at my internship church, Ginter Park Presbyterian, and say "see you later" to those good folks. In less than a month I'll graduate from UPSem and then in less than two months we'll move away from Richmond. There's a lot of change on the horizon and friends, change is hard! Transition includes many moving parts. Saying "see you later" to incredible learning sites and supportive places includes grief. So I'm sitting in that space for a little bit. I'm enjoying and grieving the "lasts" while simultaneously looking forward to all of the new beginnings that follow.
I can't share details yet, but I'm currently in the late stages of the discernment process with a call. So "if the way be clear," as Presbyterians like to say, things will become official with this call in the next month or two. And "if the way be clear," I'll start the call in September (I'm thankful for some built-in maternity leave!) and Charles will continue to work remotely. While we're experiencing a lot of endings right now, there is literal new life that'll begin soon. Growing a baby inside of me is an absolute privilege. I feel tired frequently, I always feel hot, and simple tasks like tying my shoes are proving more difficult each day. But what a gift and honor it is to carry this baby girl. When I started to read Scripture yesterday before the sermon began, baby girl began moving all around. It's like she knew it was time for the sermon so she was getting ready for it (although I'm betting she was more excited than most people feel before a sermon begins 🤣).
Our Richmond endings invite time for reflection, gratitude, and lots of "soaking it up" moments. Our Richmond endings also give space for our new beginnings. Our apartment looks a bit like a storage unit with baby items sprinkled throughout. But we're excited to create a new home once we move knowing that "home" includes many places for us. When asked what Charles is most excited about in terms of becoming a dad, he says it's bonding with our baby girl, taking care of her, and watching her grow. For me, I can't wait to create new traditions as a family of three; to continue traditions we've created for the two of us, which are informed by traditions in our families, but also to create some new ones for our growing family. Ultimately, we feel extremely blessed. We're grateful for the multitude of ways that God continues to work through our lives. And of course we appreciate the continued love, support, prayers, and encouragement from all of y'all.
