The last week since we moved out of our house, and into my parents, has been full of goodbyes, memories, and emotions. At times it has rushed by, and at other times it has felt slow and painful, like pulling off a bandaid. I am so glad I set up a "bucket list" of all the last things I wanted to do before leaving. I feel like I was able to take advantage of the time off, and no hindrances in the way, to say a proper goodbye to such a beautiful community.
We only lived here for 8 years, and I know that in a lifetime, 8 years is just a drop. For me though, these 8 years have been so foundational and formational in my life, and not just because of the birth of our kids. I am a creature of familiarity and comfort (aren't we all really?). Establishing home, and setting up our lives in the Comox Valley really became an extension of my childhood and settling into the things that I love. I was able to recreate a life that resonated with me.
I love being surrounded by nature, from every angle, everywhere you look. I love the familiar pathways heading to a solitary beach where I can walk and sort out my thoughts and pray. I love the Farmer's Market, and buying from local, abundant farms. I love community activities - the ones that are the same year by year and I know what to expect and what I will find. I both love and hate the endless rain. It is so familiar that it is a comfort, but gets tiresome after weeks and weeks. I love anticipating the end of the rain, and those first glorious sunny days when spring and summer peek through to taunt of the coming days. I love the people whose lives have been wound into ours, whether we wanted it or not (hehe).
This community is special. There is no doubt about it. I am excited to see what the future holds, both for our specific church, and for the community as a whole, as it continues to grow and develop.
And yet,
This place does not hold possibilities for all the pulls and tugs of our hearts as a family. I have spoken and written of this before. There are some little corners and some big desires that just cannot be fulfilled here. In some ways it would be easier to stay with the familiar. To settle into what we know and what we can expect, and what IS. But in doing so, we would be denying these longings that God has placed inside of us. Stepping out into the unknown is not easy. It is not comfortable. It doesn't always make sense. For us, this is where we feel called to go right now, at this point in time, for our family.
It is exciting. It is sad. It is scary. It is hopeful.
All of this, muddled inside me, as we pull out onto the road and say goodbye. Goodbye to a beautiful community that has loved us well, and that we have loved in return. Goodbye Comox Valley.
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