Au Revoir

Until we see each other again. Au Revior. These are hard words for me today as my mom boards a plane to fly back to the US. Over nine months of living in the same city, it just doesn't seem like long enough as I look back. Grateful doesn't seem like a strong enough word for how I feel as I reflect on her being here with us. She was a source of strength, encouragement, and constant-ness for me. She came to our home each morning Nathan and I had class and entered with a cheery "Bonjour mes enfants!" Our kids were truly lavished in her affections and love for them. While I was in school she would do my dishes or hang and fold laundry, change poop diapers, read endless stories to the kids, sing and be silly with them. Having her here was the best gift from God. Knowing that when I left each day, for nine months of school, someone I trusted whole-heartedly was with my kids, someone that loved and adored them and wanted the absolute best for them was home loving on them, it gave me so much peace!

My heart hurts this morning as I know she is gone and of course it will not be the same without her here. We have many wonderful memories and I will treasure them always. It is terribly hard to think that she won't be walking in our door any more, that I can't just hop on a bus and ride a few stops to her apartment, that we can't meet up for picnics in the park, or go grab a coffee and pastry together, or have extended conversations face to face in my kitchen while the kids nap.

I knew this day would come, and I accept it of course, but it just hurts and my heart is so heavy and sad. These are the sacrifices that are really hard to come to grips with.

Lord, please be near. Please give my mom a good flight today. Give her peace and a deep comfort as she moves on from here, and from us. Help her as she transitions back to the US, and as she starts her retired life. Help her remember all that she learned and saw here. Give her a rich sense of purpose and a desire to serve and love in new ways Father, wherever she settles. I pray for my kids as they will grieve the loss of her nearness. I pray that you will please give them a deep comfort too. There are so many transitions and losses Lord, I can weather them and bear them, but my kids, I don't know how to help them best, but you do! You created them, you know them intimately, you love them immensely. Please be near them. Please help us through this. Please help them as we move to a new part of town and they start a new school. From deep within me I am crying out to you Lord, be near and give us comfort today and as we go on from here. We need you. We trust you. And we thank you for my mom and for our sweet, wonderful time together here in Lyon! We will follow you always. Thank you for the hope and the peace and the love that we find and lean on because of Jesus.