Lasts and Firsts

I can't believe how fast the weeks are moving. 

I leave the Central Coast in a little less than 3 weeks. This means that I am experiencing a lot of "lasts." My last time teaching Sunday School was last Sunday. My last Midweek Kid's Study will be tonight. My last day working in the office at Shoreline is next Wednesday. My last Sunday at Shoreline will be March 10th. Many of you who know me well might be wondering how I am handling this...and the answer is that I am handling it in a good way, with a huge dose of the Lord's mercy. 

There is a difference between having emotion (which is a good thing!) and being emotionally unstable...right? Right! One prayer I've had over the past few months has been that I would keep my eyes on the Lord and not let my girlie/emotional/extroverted/people loving self get too caught up in the "sadness" of what this season could look like. He has been so faithful with this request and I ask that you would all keep praying for that! 

I know the tears will come, and I know the goodbyes will be hard...but in the midst of all of that, I want to keep my eyes on the Lord. It is for Him that I am doing this and by Him that I have the strength and ability to do it. I am reminded of the Lord's gentle exhortation in Mark:

"When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, "Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. "For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel's will save it." Mark 8:34-35 NKJV

And, with the denying of myself and the forsaking of known comforts, I am looking forward to a lot of "firsts". My first time living in another country, my first day to fellowship with the church family at Calvary Motherwell, my first outreach, my first time meeting the other missionaries, my first time meeting brothers and sisters that I will look forward to calling "friend". My first bible study. My first trip to the highlands.

I am so blessed to leave this adventure and season on the central coast for a new one in Scotland!

___

On an entirely unrelated note, I read this devotion last night and it blessed me so much that I wanted to share it once again: Taking The Initiative Against Daydreaming (My Utmost For His Highest, Oswald Chambers).