Shift

this is an interesting season of life for me and for i'm sure for many of my peers. everyday i'm met with things unfamiliar, though it's not at all bad. however i'm not sure what exactly to make of the way my life has shifted; my location, my home, my priorities, my peers, my surroundings, my community...all are shifting. the world is spinning all around me but sometimes i catch myself standing still. that is, i approach situations like they're temporary; like in a few months i'll move back to abilene to begin a familiar routine and continue the relationships established there. that i'll "finish" this task of ministry here and move on to something else. afterall, that's what i've been doing for the past 6 years or so--accomplish one feat/come to the end of a time period, and then jump into whatever is next. but this is different; this is still new. and there's no sign of life growing old any time soon. for the first time in a long time, i can't see "what's next" on the grander scale of life, and it's somewhat frightening.

but that's a good thing. it reminds me to live in the present. to avoid the temptation to look off in the distance and miss the here and now. to put down roots; invest myself fully in the place I've been placed. and yet i still wrestle with all the shifting. i find myself trying to catch up with the train i'm already on; to get on that train and enjoy the ride, even if i'm unsure of where it will take me.

as change occurs and new seasons of life roll in it's important to embrace the freshness it brings. days constantly move forward and the people and opportunities i'm surrounded with today aren't temporary. they aren't temporary in the sense i'll return to the (familiar) past tomorrow, but they're not permanent either. there's an interesting balance there, and i'm not sure i have a good grasp on it yet. what i do know is this: nothing is permanent, except the faithfulness of God...
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L.D. quote of the day (from Gus): "A lady can slice your jugular quick as a Commanche. Clara's got a sharp tongue. She's tomahawked me many a time in the past."