for a little while

today i packed up everything in my apartment. it was crazy! up down up down up down those stairs that lead from my car to my apartment. finally, after two days, it is done. my apartment is bare and very sterile-looking. as i was folding some clean laundry (one of my favorite things to do..really) i thought of the goodbyes i am going to have to say before friday. tomorrow i leave for santa barbara with some dear friends, friends which i told myself i did not have to say goodbye to this past saturday because i would be seeing them again. but as of friday, i do not have an exact day of when i will be seeing them. elli and caleb will be in portland all next year, megan is headed to south dakota tomorrow,christy is undecided but i feel she will go somewhere great, becca to mississipi, and christie and elisa to africa.

when i started to think of all the places that my close friends would be, i started to think in terms of time. time is relative. it can seem like an eternity, or it can be something that is a gift and rewarding. i couldn't help but draw a metaphor to the early christian church as discussed in I Peter. Peter is talking to the new christians and telling them to, a. contend to the faith, but also, b. to stand firm as difficulty and adversary comes their way.

And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. I Peter 5:10.

now i know what peter is trying to stress in this passage is much different than what i am trying to draw here.. but i like what he says. it teaches me once again how sufficient the grace of the Lord is. his restoring power and the way in which he strengthens those who walk with and trust in him give me hope for the unknown.

i am not sure when i will see my closest friends again. but i am thankful for the hope in the lord. i am also thankful for the fact that adversary is just for a little while.

elli and caleb, becca, megan, christy, christie,  and elisa. i love you all.

this is just for a little while.