Not so good at goodbyes

I have spent my whole life saying goodbye. I can map out my life story by the goodbyes within it. There are many distinct memories surrounding the goodbyes I have made; when we would move, saying goodbye to camp every summer, or even saying goodbye to my sweet childhood pets (R.I.P Mr. Bubbles the fish). The funny thing about goodbyes is that they don’t get easier with practice. Even with all my experience, there is nothing quite like the goodbyes that come with leaving the country.

For the past two weekends I have spent my time saying goodbye to friends and family. With these goodbyes came a jumbIe of emotions and experiences I felt were indescribable, until I realized they could be encompassed by the description of “bittersweet”. On one hand, seeing these people before I leave encourages me and pumps me up for my trip! Knowing I have so many supporters here makes the 5000km trek less daunting. On the more bitter side, knowing these people will be that far away is hard. I say I am a people person, and don’t get me wrong, I for sure enjoy meeting new people, but there is nothing more comfortable for me than being surrounded by familiarity and people I love. This being said, the new places, people and situations I will have in Guatemala are all so unfamiliar.

I don’t know how I am styling this blog yet, but so far I have enjoyed having a bible verse for each journal entry that resembles something relevant to my situation. The verse for this post is…

Psalm 46:5

God is within her, she will not fall;
    God will help her at break of day.

Whether this verse is encouraging me to wake up earlier in the morning or not, it reminds me that God is not saying goodbye. As cheesy as it sounds, he is my familiar piece in every situation I put myself in. He is within and with me this year as I venture into the new unknowns that Guatemala brings.