Counting Down to Takeoff

T minus 12 days and counting. People ask "Are you busy getting ready to leave?" (Overwhelmed) "Are you excited?" (Like a kid on Christmas Eve) "Isn't it going to be hard to leave everyone, especially your new grand baby?" (Way, way beyond hard)

I keep imagining we are astronauts, two weeks from launch date. So many details still to fit into place; (surely) an element of dread at leaving loved ones far behind; (just as surely) palpable excitement for what is to come; and (most certainly) a conviction that this is what you were made to do.

OK, so Scotland isn't exactly the moon and our danger factor isn't any higher than an average trip abroad. We are concerned about where we will live and if we will come off as ugly Americans, rather than being concerned about our O rings functioning and will we successfully re-enter earth's atmosphere. Yet there is definitely the "can't get home quickly/easily" factor and most definitely the "out of our element factor". And that probably explains the high excitement factor. 

When was the last time we stepped out so far on a limb? I admit, I am comfy being comfy and this limb is looking shaky and small. Common sense is screaming "Back up and get down from this tree, you nut!" Wisdom, however, is quietly saying "Step out and see what God has planned for you." And that is the most exciting thing we have ever done, the most compelling skinny limb we have gone out on. Leaning on God.

It's the goodbyes that get ya.