The arrival of fall brings about changes in weather. Missouri went from 90-degree temps last month to 60s and 70s this week. It has been a wonderful change. The evenings are peaceful and cool, providing us with wonderful evening walks and dinners out on the porch. The change in weather often brings about other changes as well. Sometimes weather changes mean changing schools, countries, and friends.
As MKs, change is a regular part of MK life. One big one almost all of us go through is saying good-bye to friends. In the international community, relationships change regularly. Every school year I had a different set of friends. At any time, a friend’s family could be reassigned somewhere else. Sometimes it happened in the middle of the school year, but often it happened during summer vacation.
With this new school year, I am thinking about the farewells many of you said to friends over the summer. Good-byes are never fun! For some of you, it marks the end of something amazing. Some MKs hate saying good-bye so much that they simply don’t! They just move on to the next place, church, friend, or school.
I want to encourage you to take time for good-byes. When circumstances change, you need time to process that. Saying good-bye to someone or something important in your life may bring pain, but once we’ve worked through that pain, we find strength for the future.
If you are struggling with particularly difficult good-byes, you are not alone! But saying good-bye is part of making a healthy transition. Take the time to value where you have been, and to think through the joys of the relationships you have had. You will never regret it.
Actually, the MK office is currently saying good-bye to Michelle Ellis. Michelle is going to Southwestern Assemblies of God University (SAGU), where she accepted a job that gives her the opportunity to complete her graduate degree. While we hate saying good-bye, we are so excited for the future God has planned for her! She blessed and impacted our lives while she was here.
Who has influenced your life? Why not contact them and tell them how grateful you are for the impact they have made on you? You will be blessed by doing it, and they will be greatly encouraged.
Remember, if you are having a hard time with any type of transition, please let us know. We are always here ready to walk through it with you!