A Time for Everything

Every day I'm convinced more and more that life is just a cycle of seasons. Tough seasons, good seasons, sweet seasons, slow seasons and so on and so forth, you get the picture. There really is a time for everything. For those of you older and wiser than me you're probably agreeing whole heartily because you know this lesson far greater than I do. You've lived it longer than I have.

On our plane ride home from Belize I had a mini-meltdown. To be honest, I was on the brink of a meltdown most of the day. I kept swallowing that big ole' lump in my throat until I couldn't swallow it any longer. In all fairness, I warned those around me that one could very well happen so just in case they were unfortunate enough to see my splotchy face, they shouldn't be concerned or surprised.

Ironically enough, I was sitting in the same row as two of my senior girls. Two of my senior girls that are now no longer "my girls" (although to me they'll always be "my girls"), two of my senior girls knowing that this was my very last trip with them. My very last time to be their leader. Although my meltdown was caused by many things, mainly exhaustion, it also had to do with the fact that leading that group of girls was over. My season with them was coming to a very quick halt. The tears came freely. It was the kind of tears that even trying to stop them was next to impossible.

They've joked with me all year about crying when they left, but I always told them I wasn't that sad to see them go. Of course, I was always kidding but it finally hit me that those girls the Lord had allowed me to pour into for two years, were about to enter into a different season of their own. College.

In a way, I feel like a parent dropping their kids off at school wishing them the best and loving them from afar. Of course, I am clearly no parent and I don't know exactly how that feels, but I can imagine it's somewhat how I'm feeling letting these girls go on a very minuscule level.

It's so bittersweet because on one hand, I am thrilled to see how the Lord will grow and use them in college. College was such a turning point for me and my own relationship with the Lord. It was a time when my faith really became my own and I took that and ran with it! I know God wants the same for these girls and I'm jealous for them and their love for Jesus. I don't know what the next four years looks like for any of them, but I know if they follow hard after Jesus, they won't be disappointed. That alone excites me! I'm already looking forward to our reunions at Thanksgiving and Christmas when I get to hear every detail of what life is like for them. It makes my heart so happy. Of course I'll miss them, but on the other hand, I get a whole new group. A new, fresh start with a huge group of Freshman girls that, God willing, I'll get to serve, love and pour into for the next four years. That alone gets my nosy personality excited. Y'all, four years! That's a long time to get to watch them grow into young, Jesus-loving girls.

This is always a great anxiety to me, being entrusted with these girls, but I know the Lord has wired me to love and serve these girls the best I can so I trust Him that He knows what He's doing through me. And I pray I do it with excellence.

This past Sunday night the Lord gave us one more fun night at a hotel to just all be together. I'll be completely honest and tell you that no serious conversations took place, no tears, just a fun night of games, laughing, IHOP at 1:30 a.m. and just being together. It was fabulous! I was and am so drained from all the trips that it was good for not only me, but also for them to just relax one more night with familiar people before they move on!

Because I've done the whole college thing and left folks behind, I know there is a certain dynamic that will change in my relationship with these girls. I won't see them weekly. I won't get to nag them and ask them the hard questions every time I see them. I won't get to tease them about the boy they're currently dating or have a crush on. But at the same time, I know that my investment in them is far from over. I won't stop loving them. I won't stop praying for them. I won't stop caring for them and I most certainly won't stop asking them the hard questions.

More than anything, I'm looking forward to a new season with my new girls, and a new season in my relationship with my old girls. They'll grow. I'll grow. They'll change. I'll change. Life will happen, but Jesus will always be our focus.

I'm so proud of these girls. So proud of who they've become even in just the two short years I've had the privilege of serving them. Even at this moment we have an ongoing facebook message board where the girls are continuing to pour their hearts out and ask for prayer for hard things they're dealing with. They really want to honor Jesus in all they do and I couldn't ask for anything greater.

I love you girls dearly. Thank you for giving me huge glimpses into your lives. I can't wait to see what God-fearing woman you will become in these next few years at school. I know it will be greater than I can imagine.

I mean, come on, let's just be honest here! ;)

Sweet Shannon!

Mary loves me. Can you tell?!


We won't even chat about how far Loribeth is moving. ;)

JOY!

Kara, our in house ballet dancer.

Laura Lou!

Hannah banana!



Thank you, Marriott for providing us one last night of fun all together.

So this was supposed to be a sad face picture. Apparently, they're happy to be leaving us. As they should be. ;)


Sleeping picture fail.

LAUGHING!

Sweet Sara! I love you to bits. Even when you laugh at me as I slam on the accelerator as my car is in park. :)



"There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven." Ecclesiastes 3:1