THE GRIEF AND JOY OF NEW BEGINNINGS

On a sunny Friday afternoon at the end of June, my husband, Jonathan, and I cruised into town with a U-Haul truck packed to the brim and our two dogs in tow, ready to begin this new chapter of our lives here in Bloomington.

Since then, we have been in the midst of a whirlwind of transitions, changes, and adjustments. Last Monday, after a week of unpacking and getting settled, I was sitting at my desk here in the church office, eagerly preparing for my first week of work when I received a phone call from my mom, letting me know that my grandmother's 19-year battle with Alzheimer's had finally come to an end. Stunned by grief, I was switching gears yet again, making travel arrangements and planning for the funeral.

I never imagined that these past few months would bring with them so many hectic changes! How often do we find ourselves in that "in between" space, celebrating the joy of new beginnings, while at the same time, grieving things lost in the transition?

As I transitioned yet again, departing from my grandma's burial service in the mountains of Tennessee and driving back to Bloomington, I was caught up in the flurry of busyness leading up to Sunday night's youth group. Very quickly, I moved from a place of grief to a place of joy when I had the opportunity to meet many of the junior and senior high students that will be serving on the Detroit Mission Trip with us next week. In the wake of many changes and emotions, I was blown away by this awesome group of students, and I am thrilled to have the opportunity to be a part of what God is doing in their lives!

Following Sunday night's youth group, I propped my feet up and spent some time in reflection on our patio. Underneath the bright stars of the Bloomington sky, I realized how humbled I had been by the genuine hospitality of our students as they work through the transition of welcoming a new Senior High Youth Director. How often do we find ourselves in that "in between" space, celebrating the joy of new beginnings, while at the same time, grieving things lost in the transition?

One of my favorite writers, Ted Loder, in his book, Guerillas of Grace, wrote a beautifully worded prayer that I have adopted as my own leading up to these major life transitions of the past few months:

"O God of beginnings, as your Spirit moved over the face of the deep on the first day of creation, Move with me now in my time of beginnings, when the air is rain-washed, the bloom is on the bush, and the world seems fresh and full of possibilities, and I feel ready and full. I tremble on the edge of a maybe, a first time, a new thing, a tentative start, and the wonder of it lays its finger on my lips. In silence, Lord, I share now my eagerness and my uneasiness about this something different I would be or do; and I listen for your leading to help me separate the light from the darkness in the change I seek to shape and which is shaping me."

Thanks for allowing me to join you on the journey, and I look forward to this season of new beginnings!

God's best,

Sarah Sparks-Franklin