The pretty stuff is the first to go...and other thoughts on moving

I'm working on packing all the pretty things in my apartment, and I'm already missing them. I don't generally display a ton of knick-knacks, but I had a few out, plus some art on the walls and a big collection of family photos. Here's a sample:

Willow Tree angels...on the little shelf my dad made in his seventh-grade industrial tech class!




Cross made from folded and rolled strips of newspapers and magazines. From the Global Mission Institute fair trade fair.




Naturally, the decorative things are the first to be packed since I can easily live without them. But I miss the prettiness. With the apartment looking more bare and less homey, it really drives home the reality of moving away from this place where I'm comfortable.

I have lots of friends and a good support system here; I have a job (and take classes) where I usually know what's expected of me and what I can expect; I have a church community I really like; and I know where to shop, go to the doctor, get my hair cut, get my car serviced, and all those other basic conveniences.

Of course, I have been through this before. This is exactly how I felt moving to St. Paul, and I love my life here. And I know I'll love my life in Dennison, where the people I work with will undoubtedly minister to me as much as (or more than) I minister to them.

I know this is how it generally works, but it's still a little scary to shove out into the world and leave my comfort zone behind (again), no matter how many times it's worked out well. So here's a prayer from Evangelical Lutheran Worship (among other sources) that's especially appropriate at times like this:

O God, you have called your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown. Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go, but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.



P.S. I'm keeping out my favorite prayer candle. It's from one of my spring classes, taught by two awesome profs. Mary Hess always lights a candle as a reminder that the Holy Spirit is the primary teacher in the room. Diane Jacobson contributed this candle that says, "Surely the Lord is in this place and I did not know it" (Genesis 28:16) in both Hebrew and English. It smells like yummy soap and I was delighted to take home what was left of it when the class ended.