thursday thoughts on saying good-bye

Yesterday's devotional from SheReadsTruth included this quote,
"Sisters, don’t be surprised when God uses you for the Kingdom. Don’t be surprised when His plans for you are greater than the plans you imagine for yourself."

While I think this quote seems to be summing up my entire faith story and feels particularly relevant in this season where it seems God is directing me off the road I made for myself and onto His path, I want to take a moment to reflect on a friend who is going onto greater plans than we imagined for ourselves three years ago.

For whatever reason, it seems like I have a lot of people in my life who are travelers -- meant for much more than just this small pocket in America. This is, for many reasons, a good challenge for me, but also means many good-byes. Chelsea is no different.

Chelsea and I were brand new teachers in 2012, both coming out of long-term subbing jobs into running our first classrooms all by ourselves. We were, in so many ways, so young -- especially in comparison to a staff who was much more established.  We were both thrown into very difficult teaching schedules, approximately half being English Learners and the other have comprising a mix of the lowest-level 11th grade students and then some regular-level students. Our students are great, but their needs are also very great; it can be very draining.

It was -- and still is -- good to have had someone walk in that journey with me as we figured out who we were as young teachers, who we were and are as young adults, and what it means to be in all the chaos of the first two years of teaching.  In some regards, there will never be another person that is connected to me in same way that she is. I am so grateful for her. She saw me through a very rough season personally with a lot more grace and support than I probably gave her through her own rough season.

Now she's moving to Nepal for two years and I'm very excited for her. She's going to be stretched in so many ways and find a home that she could never quite find here. Her courage is a constant reminder to me to dream beyond & trust God for a Plan much greater than this little life that I have right now.

Little parts of my heart are scattered in many places and I know this is good-bye for right now, but it's also a season of slightly unconventional friendship. I hope to be half the friend she's been to me.