One year ago, with a little help from my friends, I packed my life into three cars, and set off for the east coast. I am a self-confessed hater of change, yet there I was doing this voluntarily. Over the past year, it has seemed as though pretty much everything that could change, has. New church, new job, new friends, new house, even a new car.
I have always found writing a helpful way of processing my thoughts, and I set out with good intentions of writing regularly, but somehow over the past twelve months I have done a lot of thinking and not much writing. This has probably been helped by the many (many) hours I have spent driving. Easy to think, difficult to hold a pen.
There have been many new challenges to face, old fears to confront, and exciting things to experience. I have achieved goals I secretly thought were too grown-up for me, and tackled change with an uncharacteristically tough skin.
One thing that has kept me going when all the change has seemed too much is the RAFT framework used by missionaries preparing to transition (you can look it up!). The simple acronym – Reconciliation, Affirmation, Farewells, Thinking ahead to the destination – was immensely useful in preparing to leave well, but has also served to encourage me when I have been tempted to think it was a mad idea.
In all of the new things, the Lord has sustained me with new compassions daily: “Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” (Lamentations 3:22-23)
And he has provided countless blessings along the way. I am grateful to the many brothers and sisters I left behind who have called, sent messages, prayed, written and visited. Two dear sisters in Christ have faithfully called almost every week. Of course it is important to put down new roots and not to pine after an old life, but it has been a great help to reflect on all these new experiences with those who already know me well.
The biggest blessing of all has been the provision of a new church family. I had met a few people here before the move, but I didn’t know anyone well. Yet the Lord has created a loving, sharing, serving community of people in the local church, and he is growing us all. From day one I have been overwhelmed by the generosity of this fellowship, from offering meals, conversation and advice, to accompanying me on house viewings and doing DIY.
We are called to live out our faith in community with others, in life’s ups and downs. Sometimes this seems easy, and sometimes it is a bit of a battle! But particularly when life throws us challenges, we can encourage each other that our eternal future is secure, and we are not facing our uncertain earthly future alone.
Whether the past twelve months have seemed a season of blessing or trial to you, take comfort and strength from the words of John Newton’s famous hymn, Amazing Grace:
“Through many dangers, toils and snares,
I have already come;
’Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home.”
You and I might not know what the next year (or even the next 24 hours) will hold, but we do know that he who calls us is faithful.
