Dear Norah, Emery, and Judah:

This 10 day window is full of so many changes for you guys. Your school year is ending, and because you know that you are moving to a new school next year, you are saying goodbye to friends. We are packing up our house to move to a new community. We are leaving a church and school community in Leesburg that has played such an important role in all of our lives for the last 7 years. And I am starting a new job in a congregation that is very different than what you are used to.

I know that this weekend is going to be difficult for a lot of people, but especially for you guys. You have been and will continue to experience a variety of emotions, from sadness, to anger, to anxiety, and frustration. As your dad, I never want to see you experience hurt like this, but I know that this is a part of life that we all experience. My hope is that your mother and I can help you navigate these days as best as we can. I also hope that you are able to eventually learn 3 lessons from this experience.

1. It is ok to have and express your emotions, even the sad ones.
Emotions are good things. Your emotions can help you understand and learn more about yourself. And so it is ok for you to experience emotions.

Now, I can admit that I have not always handle my emotions correctly, and that is something that I am trying to learn more about so that I can handle them better. And sadness is one of those emotions that I try not to show too much. But between you and me, I can admit that I am sad to leave Leesburg. We have made many friends and grown in so many ways these last 7 years. There is a part of me that does not want to leave, but more on that in the next point.

It is ok to be sad, because you are sad about things that are important to you. It is ok to cry. It is ok that others may cry. But I hope that you can also remember all of the good times we have had during these last 7 years.

2. Following where God is leading is not always fun, but it is the right thing to do.
On the surface, it may look to you guys like I am quitting one job that I like for another job. You might feel that I didn’t take into consideration your thoughts and feelings on this matter. Or maybe you think that I made the wrong decision.

As your mom and I weighed the good and bad of taking this new position or staying in Leesburg, we always were thinking about what is best for our family. But more importantly than that, we tried to stay focused on where God is leading us. In The Lord’s Prayer, we pray to God, “Your will be done…”. We should always seek to follow where God is leading us.

And so, while there is a part of me that does not want to leave, your mother and I are confident that this is where God is leading us. And so we should go where God is leading. Which brings me to my final lesson.

3. Your mother and I are always here for you. But more importantly, God is always with you.
Your mother and I here for you as much as we possibly can be. Reach out and talk to us. You can cry on our shoulders or ask us to leave you alone. We want to help you guys in any way that we can.

God is always with you also. He is with you and understands your feelings on all of this. Lean on Him. Pray to Him. Trust where He is leading.

It is going to be hard to leave Leesburg and it will take time to get settled in to Bel Air. But we are doing this together as a family and with God. And that is a good place to be.

Photo by Dominik Scythe on Unsplash