Highs and Lows

I have been on a journey of highs and lows over the past five days. 

On Friday, I was completely caught off guard, as a 'dear and near' friend swept me away to a Living Proof Life conferencein Little Rock, Arkansas--all expenses paid.  She and Eric had been scheming for quite awhile to make this happen.  It was a treat in a thousand different ways.  Mostly because I would have never agreed to go if she had asked me to.  My practical side of my mind would have not even entertained the notion because who spends fifteen hours in a car for a five hour conference?  Thankfully, I wasn't in charge of this and I was taken against my will, to expereince God's will.  Wow.  What a God appointment it was.  He spoke into my life so powerfully that it was almost audible.  As Beth Moore is known for saying: 'there's no high like the Most High!'  Yes--I experienced a high of the highest sort.

We raced back to Louisville, getting back on Saturday, midnight.  The next morning, my emotions did a 180, as we listened to one of our beloved pastors preach his last sermon at our church.  He and his family are leaving to start a church in Cleveland, Ohio.  So excited for what Cleveland is gaining, so sad for what we are losing.  Their friendship, their teaching...oh, they will be missed.  While our church is thriving and it will continue to do so under sound leadership, we can't help to feel overwhelmed with sadness.  They will be painfully missed.  It was a low, but not a complete low--because there is also great excitement in seeing what God is going to do through them in a city in desperate need for Him.  It is exciting to be sending them off.  It is sad to be sending them off...oh, such an influx of contrasting emotions happening all at once...it's just too much--too much to process.

Then yesterday, we drove to Benton, Kentucky to be with our 'dear and far' friends, to grieve with them over the death of their beloved father.  Again, it was a day of crying and mourning, yet a day of comfort and celebration.  Sad, because of the end of a life here on this earth; yet joyful over where he is right this very moment, free of suffering and pain.  Again, the contrast of emotions...oh, me...oh, my.

The highs and the lows--we've journeyed the hills of extremes going from 'strength to strength' (Ps. 84:7) in His strength--So Sturdy, so Strong, so Secure. 

So thankful for His presence in the journey, so thankful.

Each high and each low is a blog post in itself...hoping to share more over the next few days.

we'll see.