Free to go….

Dave is in Copper Canyon.  I am in Champaign.  We are both thriving and succeeding and smiling.  He just called with 4 minutes available phone time, telling me he is on his own for a few days.  He spontaneously hopped off the train to hike to the bottom of the canyon tomorrow with a group of French students.  He is sporting a new hat, given to him by his new “friend forever,” Alberto, who bestowed the hat as he announced the title.  Dave is happy, happy–and confident that taking people to this place of wonder in Mexico is his next venture.

He is free to begin that and build that and do that and love doing that. 

I, on the other hand, am facing my last week of work here and planning for the first weeks of my new job in Pennsylvania.  Both are proving to be fun and promising and energizing (and a bit fatiguing).  Someone who knows me professionally pretty well told me today that I sound “light-hearted.”  So I am.  For Dave and me both. 

I determined long ago that I would live with the clearest conscience possible.  In the Bible, we are instructed to “as far as it is possible, live at peace with all men.”  Once I noticed the words “as far as it is possible,” it became a possible freedom that I have kept close.  Living with a clear conscience is not easy.  It takes a lot of introspection, communication, reflection, and prayer.  But I think that my light-heartedness today is really just the deep knowledge that I have done my job here well and that now, I am free to go. 

Dave is free to go to Mexico and Colorado.  I am free to go to Bucks County.  We are free to go together and free to go seperately.  And with the freedom comes a stronger commitment to be together than ever before.

Blogging for Interaction

As Dave and I talk with people about his decision to resign and then our decision to relocate, I sense that there are two reactions.  One, that it is pretty cool we are able and willing to make a change that we deeply sense is good for us.  The other, that we must either be out of our minds or hiding some “real” reason for our rash decision.

So, since blogs are for interaction, let me invite you to state your opinion about our decision—or ask your question.

So far….

Last evening, Dave and I took a long walk.  We always think clearly while we walk.  We are definite that we are ready to relocate.  There is a lot to consider.  Joel is a major consideration.  But he is so wonderfully cheerful and flexible that we are confident he will end up fine.  A friend of mine came to Champaign with a son with some limitations and she wishes at times she had stayed where she was.  The services were much better for an adult with special needs where she came from.  Joel will be fine.  He is part of our needs that God is aware of and concerned about.  I have no doubt.

I feel sad about moving away from Wilson and Anne and Zac.  All of them are doing grown up things that are moving them forward and while they don’t “need” me so much as a mom any more, they do very much need me at times.  And when they do, they really do.  But, again, I am confident all this change is good for all of us.

We have agreed that whoever finds a job first determines the destination.  We are praying for “fulfilling employment” and by a date of April 1.  I told Dave I need to have something specific to pray about these days….I trust God completely.  My only fear comes from my own limiting beliefs, that I am learning to recognize at first ugly rearing of the head.  I have no fear about God providing or caring or loving us.

On our walk, we once again solidified our commitment to one another and the direction we are taking right now, together.  It is truly amazing that we have been married for 34+ years.  But more amazing to me is that we enjoy being married to one another!  A thought last night was that if one of us was to die in six months, would we regret this decision to move?  Both of us agreed that in that situation, we would regret not moving if we don’t.