Saying goodbye is never easy. It triggers a host of emotions. Twice in the last few weeks, the pillars of my career have been shaken. I am only now recognizing the call to detachment.

Maybe I should’ve seen the office move as the first in what would become a series of opportunities for letting go. I had known this building since college. My classes were held there. My advisor’s office was there, and my first adult job interview was held in this building. Now the building is gutted, and our department in engaged in the second of three office moves that will temporarily house us during the renovation.

Our first move was to student housing, which was an adventure in itself. The apartments of my college days now contained a smattering of faculty, staff, and administrators amidst the college students. Weird and a throwback, but okay. I have seven kids; I’m flexible. The move took from November to January to complete. In March, we packed up the bare necessities to remake our offices into home offices when Covid-19 shut down the university as we knew it. Now, as we prepare for the fall semester, and Covid-19’s tentacles choked the Study Abroad program as well, unprecedented numbers of students who can no longer go abroad need housing so we are ousted again from our spaces and relocating wherever we can land. It’s anyone’s guess at the moment. The #funnynotsofunny thing is…we will need to move again when the renovation is complete.

No big deal. It’s all in the attitude, right? I can choose to embrace the opportunity to sacrifice for souls. We need to be looking for these challenges and seeing them as God sees them; not for grumbling at his arrangements but for seizing them like secret weapons. Okay, I’m there. I’ve got this.

In this time of rapidly changing circumstances, I really don’t know what tomorrow will bring. I guess I never did, but life certainly seemed more predicable this time last year. And then…

My work partner quit. Surprise! She was the most excellent mentor. I cannot imagine what it would have been like to re-enter the workforce after a 26 year maternity leave (lol) without her. Her thoughts were organized; her directives clear. I learned the ropes from the best. In return, I gave my absolute best. And now, poof. Gone. My faith tells me to accept this and to trust that God’s got this. I will.

This is where the grace of God is called forth in prayer. I will not have a spirit of fear and will not play the what-if game. I will seize this opportunity to accept whatever challenges God has placed on my path to suffer for souls, patiently and with love. This frees my spirit to be light and to welcome each new day with ease and grace no matter how I feel about my situation humanly. I’m working on this, and believe me, it’s moment by moment.

No sooner did I get my head around this massive change. and suddenly another one out of left field. I was sharing with my spiritual director of many years that “CHANGE” should’ve been my word of the year, when that became the perfect segue for him to tell me he had been reassigned to Mexico. The tears fell openly, silently, embarrassingly, until thankfully technology fritzed and our zoom call was dropped. Holy kleenex! At least I could go wash my face with cold water before calling him back. This news left me feeling punched in the gut. It triggered all the losses of my lifetime of those who knew me deeply…my father, my brother…

Suddenly a gentle knowing revealed God was leading me down a path of detachment. I saw the pattern beginning to emerge. My security was never meant to be in people. Our trust is in God alone. Thank goodness for the wisdom to know He is a good Father and only wills what’s best for our souls. When His vision presents challenges, I know He will be by my side, and even carry me when I feel weary. I’m grateful to have eyes on eternity and clarity to see the opportunities hidden in the challenges. I’m spiritually free to remain in the present moment and face whatever the future holds with grace and trust. Ah, to be able to rest so securely in the arms of a loving and all-knowing Father! Thanks be to God that we can glorify Him in all things!