This is my final ministry day of the race. It’s nearing the close of a season in my life. And I need to acknowledge the next season is going to look drastically different than this one.
When I arrive home, I will be unemployed. I will arrive to expectations, pressures, questions from others and from myself.
When I arrive home, it will also be the transition from summer to autumn. It’s one of my favorite times of the year. I love the change of colors, when the trees begin to carry red and yellow hues. I love stepping out in the morning to be greeted by the fresh crisp air, and wearing cozy oversized sweaters. I love the warm scent of apple and cinnamon and brown sugar. I love hearing the crunch of falling leaves beneath my boots.
There’s this quote from Donald Miller, “All the trees are losing their leaves, and not one of them is worried.”
I want to have that same heart. To know this season is over and be content with the change. I know in some ways it will be easy, in some ways it will be hard, but in all ways it’s where I’m meant to be.
I want to arrive home with something to hold onto. But the Lord has told me no, He’s told me to let go. Let go of my own expectations, my own pressures. Let go of everything I have, so I can have open hands for everything He has for me.
It’s a transition from a season of traveling the world and constantly having new cultural experiences and serving the Lord in evident spaces, to coming back home and being faithful in what some would argue as the mundane.
But autumn arrives every year. The signs of the change in seasons is clear. Yet as the leaves start to change color, it’s not mundane. There’s no loss of excitement. In fact, it’s beautiful.
I proclaim, this next season is going to be as beautiful as the last.
My last ministry on the race was serving at Ocean’s Edge. It started as a surf camp for kids, an avenue to share the Gospel and has grown into so much more. Most of my time was spent helping to rebrand their business site, as well as use my graphic skills on church marketing, help to paint a mural, ocean and park clean ups, and of course making sure kids didn’t drown during surf lessons.
We head off to our final debrief and then home.
