going-away party

the original members of our small group (minus a few beloved foster children)

Our friends in our hometown threw us a going-away party a few weeks ago that was so special to us. It was our small group that met over the last few years, as well as many older friends who have been with us along the journey.

There was Norm, the man who worked with Keith in youth a few years ago and came up to him last fall... five minutes after I'd asked the Lord for a clear sign... and told him that he should be a youth pastor. There was Bert, the man who was Keith's Sunday School teacher as a kid. They always had a great connection and last year Keith was his Sunday School teacher when he was teaching on the cults. He spoke some great words of encouragement to Keith. And so did so many others. Bert's wife Pat, who I've always had a special connection with, has been saying for years that Keith should be a pastor. So of course she smiled and said, "I always knew Keith would be a pastor!"

Bert and Keith

There were a lot of encouraging words for both of us. But I think what really was the coolest thing to me was to see that even though there have been what you might call foreshadowings during our nine years of marriage that this was where we were headed eventually... there have actually been those foreshadowings in Keith's life for much, much longer. I hadn't really realized that before, or hadn't thought of it like that. But it really blessed me and made me feel honored to get to be a part of this. I'm glad to be going on this journey with Keith, one that I think God has had in mind for much, much longer than we have.