Yes, I do mean literally. The weather has been crazy! From watching heat lightening in thunderclouds, to hail waking me up in the middle of the night, to front porch sitting as torrential downpours come down around my roommate and I, the weather has been insane. As I sit even now on my front porch typing and looking out around me at grey skies, back-flooded street drains, and gushing gutters I am reminded of 1 Kings 19:11:

The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.”

It wasn’t actually in the powerful wind, the earthquake, or the fire that followed that the Lord was present, but rather in the gentle whisper that the Lord spoke to Elijah .

I feel like I’ve been walking through a whirlwind, with occasional earthquakes and fires, yet each day, when I stop to listen, the Lord’s gentle whisper is reaching out to comfort me

Whispers through a Blog

This morning I woke up wondering what tasks I should accomplish with my day. This meant naturally, first turning to social media for a scrolling-slow start before jumping in the shower. I saw a friend of mine had posted a new blog, “There are far better things ahead than any we leave behind.” This quote from C.S Lewis was the centerpiece and theme for her post and oh so comforting as I’m looking towards what’s ahead, and dwelling on what I’m leaving behind. She broke down the different ways people process, so helpful in knowing I am not alone in my thoughts or experiences.

Whispers of Saudade

I’ve begun the packing process and have had the blessing of a couple of friends spending time “holding the ladder” for me while I pack. This consists mostly of them coming and sitting on my bed, or in my living room. I make decisions, they make small talk. One of these friends lived overseas herself and as we chatted, she described a Portuguese word: saudade (she pronounced it sou-dou-dje… ish). She defined it as the wistful longing of what has been, or what could have been but never will be. It was a perfect articulation of my heart as I leave Southfield. As this word has whispered to me these past few days, the Lord has reminded me of the incredible community that has become family that I will miss immensely, but also reminded me that even as I leave, the sands are already shifting with my other 20’s/30’s something friends establishing their own different paths in life.

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Whispers in Toy Story

With the packing comes the inevitable time to say goodbye. Today I had coffee with a very special friend of mine that has been a rock for the past four years in my life. As our coffee date came to a close, I sat there wondering how on earth I was going to bring myself to hug her and then even worse, let go of the embrace and drive myself home. As she stood up to use the restroom the speaker behind me started playing the song that God knew my heart needed. Nope, not some powerful moving worship music…. Disney (yes, again… Disney). “And as the years go by, our friendship will never die. You’re gonna see, it’s our destiny. You’ve got a friend in me.” As we embraced and parted ways, the Lord played this in my mind, a whisper to comfort me and remind me, though relationships shift, this goodbye doesn’t stop here.

Whispers amidst the Whirlwind

The week before last was one of living minute to minute. It began with a cousin’s wedding out of town, held an engagement party and bridal shower for my siblings, preparations and decorations of a functional barn into a reception venue and ended with my best friend marrying her now husband. In between was clearing space in my parents attic for storage, coffee dates, kayaking adventures, and lunch dates with loved ones I may not see for a while. As stress levels rose, God reminded me in each moment, “There is no place you would rather be, than walking along side these loved ones in this very moment of their lives.” It felt like years worth of special moments packed into 8 short days. A gift from the Lord as supplementation of the special moments I’ll be away for in the months or years to come.

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Whispers and Prayer

“I’ve never really been surprised before.” Sharing this with my roommate months ago became a challenge to her as she began to plot and scheme. With my declaration of eating taco’s for a going away party that was already on the calendar, she got creative in planning her sure-fire surprise. In the worlds most thoughtful gesture- her inspiration came from a card I had stuck on the fridge, “20 ways to pray for a missionary.” My sweet roommate found 20 women who have been important in my life, brought them together in my home for an evening of prayer, and asked them to pray for that specific item for me for the duration of my first term on the field. The women who couldn’t attend wrote notes, or sent voice recordings to be read or played as we prayed together. My heart filled with love as I felt the love of those around me envelope me in prayer.

Whispers with Closure

Another close friend of mine put together a picture book filled with pictures of memories from the past four years. Spontaneous dinner plans turned into laughing in the grass outside the restaurant for hours. A biking trip with another close friend resulted in a home for my bed I’ve been trying to pawn off to any random stranger through facebook marketplace. Even the small details of rehoming furniture, God has been orchestrating to make my steps forward easy.

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While errands are still to be run, and packing isn’t yet fully complete, I sit here on my front porch with rain still coming down around me, reminded that God’s glory isn’t most displayed through the raging thunder, glorious lightening, or falling hail (all of which have ironically been very present in the weather these past two weeks) but rather in the soft whispers of perfectly timed gifts He places in my lap each and every day.

Prayer Points

• Please pray for the Lord’s continued whispers of comfort and peace in my goodbyes that are now happening everyday.
• Please pray for community and connection in the hello’s I get to say in just a couple of weeks!
• Please pray for safety and health in travel- driving travels as I transfer belongings to my parents and drive to Atlanta for checkout at my organization headquarters, as well as flying when I leave for Kenya on July 8th.