And on this beautiful day under a blazing hot Mexican sun, we once again shared a phenomenal day of adventure, profuse amounts of laughter, sunburn, heartfelt sharing of life, marriage, family, and work. And as a bonus and blessing, we found copious amounts of unique blue/gray and rainbow obsidian. I could have filled a boxcar full of fabulous rock if only time and practicality would allow. But alas, my two small suitcases would only allow for one bucket full.
And so as we ended the afternoon by bobbing and bumping back down the muddy and rocky backroad, I was filled with deep gratitude, contentment, and satisfaction. I smiled inside and out.
Mixed with all of this positivity was a big chunk of melancholy. This would be our last Obsidian Obsession journey together. We were now closing a beautiful chapter of our lives. Massive changes were soon coming certainly for Guy, and possibly me as well.
Three days prior Guy had turned in his two-week notice at work. Their house had sold the week before our arrival, and his car, he sold the day I arrived. In three weeks Guy will be moving his family to Orlando, Florida. They will rent a home there for a month. Guy doesn’t have a job lined up as of yet. And if things don’t pan out in Florida, the family will move to England as they are all dual citizens. I will most likely never experience Guadalajara the same again. This chapter of life has closed.
I am so proud of Guy, Vera, and their three beautiful daughters; Denise, Natasha, and Alexa. They are literally living and walking by faith. More than most of us. They are giving up the security, familiarity, and clarity of the known, for the insecurity and uncertainty of the unknown. A huge step most of us never make by choice because we prefer the familiarity of what we know even though that familiarity may be filled with negativity, stress, mediocrity, or boredom.
We all want things laid out, guaranteed, lined up, assured, certain, safe, proven, insured, homogenized, pasteurized, and sterilized. And yet they have none of these. Our faith life and walk with God are filled with risk. Risk is always scary and uncertain. Risk always comes with adventure. Yet, almost always, risk and adventure bring new life, new insights, and new growth.
I have always loved and resonated with this beautiful little quote:
Go now with God.
Be not tempted to stay in the safety of known places.
Move from where you are, to where God points.
Go now with God;
be not tempted to go only in your time,
when it suits, when it is sure, for now, is God’s time.
Go now with God; choose not to go alone.
Go in the faith that there is not wilderness so vast,
that God is not already there to show you the way.
Guy and his family are definitely living out these words. Not just in theory or thought, but by action and movement. Not all of us are called to change, movement, or risk. These usually come in seasons. But at times throughout our faith life, we will all be asked to “Go now with God” because the Holy Spirit has signaled it. When the Holy Spirit calls, we have to exercise our faith and trust muscles. Muscles grow through use and exercise.
So, my dear friend Guy, I am grieving now the end of an era. This beautiful chapter has now come to a close. I am deeply grateful for all that you have given and shared with me. And yet as this chapter comes to a close, I know that new horizons and wonderful experiences await you and your family as you follow God’s leading to a new life in a new land. Go now with God, move from where you are to where God points. And may the rest of us all learn from your courage, faith, and obedience. May God bless you and yours as you close this chapter and live into another.
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