The last few weeks have been a whirlwind, and if you have been around me you know that I have been a hot mess.
I was so excited about leaving for the World Race, but my heart has been heavy because leaving isn’t easy. Leaving behind the comfort of the first world makes me a little nervous. Leaving a scheduled world for one where I barely know what I’m doing in the next hour makes me a bit queasy. Its the goodbyes that have hurt the most though.
In the last couple of weeks I have said some very hard goodbyes. I have left my friends, pastors, and mostly my family behind.
I am walking into this experience ready to make new friends and family, but leaving those that I have already been blessed with behind has been so hard.
As I was praying last week, literally crying out to God to give me the strength to walk in obedience, he answered me; and boy was it sweet.
As I sat there in tears looking at my pack and everything that didn’t seem to fit in it, I felt the peace of the Lord settle on me. I can’t say that it was lasted for very long but it was enough each time to make it through the next few minutes.
In those minutes God spoke to my spirit, telling me that He understood my pain. He understood that leaving was hard, and in that moment I realized that He did, because Jesus had to leave.
Take a second for that to sink in, Jesus had to leave heaven in order to come to Earth. I can’t imagine that was easy to leave paradise. To leave perfect community with the father. To come to a broken place, with these broken people.
In this pain of leaving I have comfort from my savior that He knows this pain. He knows what its like to leave things behind when it’s hard. He knows exactly what I’m going through.
Whatever it is that you are walking in right now, I want you to know that the Father knows what it is, and he knows what its like, and he is walking right beside you. I want you to know that whether you are in a season of pain, joy, change, or sorrow that our God is there; and not only that but that the Jesus has been right where you are while he was here on earth.
We can see him experience pain on the cross and even in the garden before he was crucified. He was so upset about the coming events that he was sweating blood. I think he knows the pain of life that we walk through sometimes.
He knew the joy of friendship, and the love of family. Jesus didn’t come to earth to be higher than us, he entered into family, and friendships. He loved people, and was loved by them.
He definitely experienced change. No longer was he beside his father. He chose to lower himself to be fully man, so the relationship between himself and the father changed as well.
And finally we know that Jesus walked through times of sorrow. We are told about when Lazarus died, how Jesus wept. Not just cried or mourned, he wept. That is deep emotion, not just sadness.
No matter where you are, know you are not alone.
I would love to be praying for you as you walk through whatever season of life you are currently in. Please leave a comment so I know how to pray for you.
Love you all,
Audrey
