Preparing, Packing, & Processing

And in that order, too.

During my six months at home so far, I feel like I've been preparing for going back to Brisbane that entire time. I've applied for the next school, gotten my 2 year Australian visa, and payed what I've needed to so far. I've sorted through my belongings at home; cleaning out, donating, and throwing away a lot of things, and I've made lists of things I'll need to pack for Brisbane.

So in a sense, I've prepared a lot. Currently, I feel like there isn't a lot left for me to do to prepare for moving except physically packing my suitcase and hopping on the plane.

So why do I all of a sudden feel like there is so much to process about moving? Isn't that what I've been doing for the past six months? I've been so excited to move back to the country where I feel like I so solidly built up my faith, yet I've now come to a place where I think I need to actually mentally and possibly spiritually prepare for what I'm about to jump into.

Yesterday at church during worship, God gave me a picture of this next step in life for me, while asking me a simple question: "Ready?" In that simple question, I felt God asking me if I was ready to take this leap of faith with Him, to eagerly jump into this next chapter of life with Him, and I felt that even though it might seem scary, He was there to comfort me through the entire process. I felt like a little girl again, looking up at her dad as He had a supportive and comforting hand on my back while holding my own hand in His other hand. The picture of a gentle and comforting support on my back was just what I needed to take this leap of faith and to know and realize that, of course, He is going to be with me every step of the way.

This picture reminded me of something I so simply should have already known, yet God is a faithful father to constantly remind me of it so that I would never forget and never even have the chance to wonder if He was still there.

So, I'm prepped, I'm not quite physically packed but very ready to do so, and how am I processing this transition time of my life? By writing this blog post, of course!

I've realized I'm on an edge in this point in my life- on the edge of the cliff of transition looking out over the canyon of change (cheesy, maybe, but bear with me). But I'm thankful for my last two weeks here to process this in my home environment. The more I think about it and process it, the more my initial fear of the "big realization" of moving diminishes and the more I'm filled with excitement.

So this transition is scary for me, "the girl who never gets homesick", yet through the process of this transition, I'm becoming more and more excited to step out with God. And I know for a fact He will be there with my as the gentle, comforting, and supportive hand on my back the entire way. That's what a good and faithful Father does anyway, right?