Good Luck on Your Journey

I left Columbus today. This week has been spent trying to clean out twenty years of stuff from our house. It has been a very stressful week. Three months ago we talked about how we were going to just throw away all of our stuff and start over. This turns out to be harder than you think. I have too many really good books and too many GI Joes in my collection. This last statement led to many "my stuff" vs. "your stuff" conversations. The problem is that we have lived in the same house from the time we were married until today. Under the piles and stacks of expendable consumables is the 8x10 engagement picture, the airline tickets from the first trip we took together, and the pajamas and blanket that Davis came home from the hospital in. In the end, we saved too much, we through away too much, we gave away too much, and we packed too much to take with us. And, we left too much still in the house for the rest of the family to deal with.

Today after church, a new friend said, "Good luck on your trip." He said it again after lunch. I said, "You know we are not going on a trip. This is it. We are leaving for good." He said, "Its just for three or so years." I said, "Yes, but you should say good luck on your journey."

That's when it hit me. This is it. Today the journey begins. I have been planning the journey for some months now, and I have been preparing for the journey for weeks. But today, the journey begins.

This was "Thanksgiving Sunday" at church today. I attempted to express my thanks, but I knew my emotions would not allow me to say what I wanted to say. For the last 38 years in Columbus I have been surrounded by a church family, an extended family, and an immediate family who have been unbelievably nurturing, comforting, and supportive. This collection of people has supported my journey intellectually, educationally, theologically, and often financially. I owe everything I am to the people that took their time to invest in me. How could I ever put the gratitude I owe for this into words? I am truly, truly thankful for the dedication of the people that have been a part of this huge family. But, more than that, I am thankful that you have made it alright for me to leave. I don't know where it will take us, but today the journey begins.