Blessed by Community

This morning was my last morning at IDC.
And it was so bittersweet.

As I glanced around the room while on stage,
I was just awed by the grace that God has shown me
for the last year and a half while I've been at IDC.
His grace was personified by so many people who have
loved me and pushed me to Christ through the gospel.

This morning I was reminded of when I first moved to Raleigh.
I was begging the Father to bring me into a community of believers--
to show me what it was really like to live selflessly
and to love the Body well.
And He was faithful in answering that request.
I also have asked many times that our hearts
would be knit together in love.
And there are quite a few ladies that I know
the Lord has woven pieces of my heart to theirs.

Which is why,
my heart is broken by the fact that I have to leave.
It truly is.
But I wouldn't have it any other way.
This pain that I feel now is an evidence of the Lord's grace in my life.
I genuinely love this community.
And it's never easy to say goodbye to people you love.

But even in all this pain and sadness,
I still have fullness of joy in the Savior.

As I was doing some reading this afternoon,
I came across Psalm 40. Verses 16-17 resonated with my heart:
"Let all who seek You rejoice and be glad in You; let those who love Your salvation say continually, 'The Lord be magnified!' Since I am afflicted and needy, let the Lord be mindful of me. You are my help and my deliverer; do not delay, O my God."
I can be glad and rejoice in Him.
I can continue to thank Him for the blessing this Body has been in my life--and I'm sure will continue to be as I keep in contact with people.
I can still praise Him for who He is and His faithfulness.
And I can trust Him for what will happen in the future.
I can trust that as I cry out to Him now to lead me to a community back in NM, that He will be faithful to do so.
I can trust Him.
What grace!

Anyway, this morning was a blessing.
And I'm looking forward to/dreading Tuesday night.
It'll be my last night with my Growth Group (small group).
Tears shall fall.
But I'm glad it'll be hard to say goodbye...because that means the Lord really did build us up in love.

Blessings.