Written for me, written for you

This morning God woke me up to pray and cry for you.  To search His
word for you.  To listen to music and worship for you.  For you and
for all of your new family.  Because I know that's what each of your
new friends has become, family.

I know I have always been the more emotional one of the two of us and
for a long time I believed that was a negative thing.  But what I have
come to see now is that I just feel incredibly deeply for the ones I
love. And this morning I am really just feeling so deeply for you.
I'm remember times that I have been to a place of saying "goodbye" and
just how much it can hurt.  I remember specifically my two summers at
Lake Ann during high school and how leaving those friends, who I had
come to consider family, was one of the hardest things I have ever
done.  And the same with Chicago.  Leaving Chicago and all of my
memories there was so, so difficult.

And this journey you have been on has been one to such a greater
magnitude that I can't even begin to feel what you are feeling now.
So I won't try to.  I don't want to make less of what your experience
has been and compare it to my own.  This journey has been yours.  But
the one thing I can say is that Jesus, our wonderful Jesus, has walked
every single step of new soil, faced every new country with you.  He
has experienced every tear of homesickness (imagine how homesick He
must have been for Heaven).  He has held every single hand you have
held, been in your eyes to watch every single miracle you witnessed.
He has held and cradled every single LBB with you.  He has experienced
every belly laugh you have laughed and has just the same, cried every
deep, gut wrenching cry you have cried in the face of disappointment .
 He has seen it ALL and He KNOWS where your heart is at this week and
where it will be every moment of next week. Jesus knows every place
your heart is going to go as you say "goodbye" and as you make this
transition.

SO, with all of this said… I may not understand like Jesus does, but
I love you so deeply as your sister and as your friend.  I know
Christ's love for you and I know from my own experiences that He wants
you to really and truly feel this.  I said it on Facebook and I will
say it again.  I can't say it enough.  Feel this.  Grieve this.  Be
joyful but cry as you need to.  Remember.  Take time to reminisce
every moment you have lived (good and bad).  Be Thankful.  Be
encouraged.  You have encouraged all of us back home.  Be proud.  You
have done something AMAZING.  Soak up every single experience, emotion
and feeling you have over the next week and a half.  And when it is
time, say goodbye.  Say goodbye to the countries you have fallen in
love with and to the people you have given your heart to.  Say goodbye
but don't look back.  Have no regrets.

I asked God to bring a passage to me this morning while I was reading
and praying over you and this is what He gave me.

I've studied the book of Philippians and 1 & 2 Timothy, a lot this
past year with seniors.  I've come to see Paul and Timothy as soul
brothers who deeply cared for each other.  In Philippians 1, Paul is
writing to Timothy and to his home church (for probably one of his
last times before execution).  When I read this passage this morning,
I sensed a great deal of joy and sadness in Paul's writing.

So after reading Philippians 1:1-11, this is my prayer for you.  For
you and for Carly and Amanda and Angel and Krystle and for every other
family member you have made this past year.

I pray Grace and Peace on each of you.
I pray with JOY for you.
I am sure of this.  That HE who began a good work in each of you,
plans to continue and carry it out to completion
(no matter where each of you goes next), until the day you each meet
your savior.
Hold each other in your hearts and know that you are PARTNERS TOGETHER
IN GRACE.  (Don't you just love that!?)

Paul finishes by writing in verses 8-11, "For God is my witness, how I
long for you all with the [a]affection of Christ Jesus. 9 And this I
pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge
and all discernment, 10 so that you may [b] approve the things that
are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless [c]until the day
of Christ; 11 having been filled with the fruit of righteousness which
comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God."

I pray this passage for you this week KB.  I hope you see what I am
seeing as I read it.  That God knows the depth of love you have for
each other and for this journey you have been on together.  But that
this is not the end.  You are partners in Grace for Life.

I love you KB and I can't wait for you to come home and we can talk
about everything God has shown us this past year.  I have missed you
so much.  I think if anything, God has shown me how greatly blessed we
are to have one another as sisters.  I can't wait to make you cajun
chicken pasta and to drink coffee with you and to take Mack to the zoo
with you and celebrate Ted's birthday with you.