It's a New Dawn, It's a New Day
On the feeling of taking my first one-way flight
Over the past 14+ years, I (Jen) have traveled a lot. But I’ve never had the experience of getting on a one-way flight to move to a new city! When people have asked me recently what I’m feeling, I tell them…EVERYTHING. Even though I’ll be back in Orlando in about a week, an underlying feeling about this trip continually reminds me that my home is in flux, a very new sensation.
It’s a strange mix of tears over the “lasts” of certain rhythms, the subtle shift of relationships as we learn to keep in touch with long-time friends from a distance, and an intense sense of energy for all the new experiences, new challenges, and new possibilities.
I’ve been thinking a lot about Abraham on this journey - called to take his family and leave home and follow God without knowing what the end would look like while knowing that God would be with him no matter where the path led. Much like Abraham, already, our journey has taken some unexpected, but good, twists.
My start date with the American Bible Society has moved up to February 20th. And I’ll be kicking off my first day with my first trip to New York City for board meetings - what a great way to start! On the less helpful side, the furniture and most of the clothes that I sent up with the moving company on Wednesday won’t make it to me until after that trip, so I’m living out of a few suitcases and a hotel room in the meantime.
God is in the details (did you know that was the original saying?!). And no matter what we’re feeling as we take the journey, He’s right beside us each step of the way. So, I’m going to let Nina Simone be my guide on this particular journey, especially to get my mind on the right track when the blues are sure to come. When you think of me, think of that brass section of “Feeling Good” as I walk into the unknowns:
It's a new dawn, it's a new day It's a new life for me And I'm feeling good
Praises & Prayer Requests
Praise God that the moving company took care of all the details of getting our things packed and shipped and that my car is already in Philadelphia waiting for me.
Praise God for the change in Jen’s start date so that she can be a meaningful participant in the upcoming board meetings as we consider important topics on direction and the future.
Thanks for joining us in prayer for these requests this week.
Pray for the family as they come up this weekend, that their flights will go smoothly. And that the final logistics of getting things into the apartment would work as we’re hoping.
Pray that Jen would feel at peace with so many firsts! First Amtrak ride, first time in NYC, first board meeting. She’ll also have the opportunity to begin building relationships with important representatives in the Catholic and Orthodox Church while there. Pray that these first interactions go well and kick off the start of healthy partnership around Scripture engagement.
Jen is slated to go to East Asia in April to visit with partners and learn more about relationships there. Pray that she can get her visa approved and come in time to make the trip.
See you soon!
