One More Week - Graham

One more week.

One more week in the comfort of my house in Owensboro, my job with the Grounds Guys Landscape Management, everything I have that is familiar. This is strange to contemplate because it isn’t a permanent goodbye, but it almost is. I’ll be away for a year serving with the other Tucson Borderlands YAVs and, after I return, I’ll have a little more than a month before I get married in September and leave behind everything I know more permanently. So in a way, this coming year is a preparation for that eventual goodbye. Only now that I am at the cusp of it, I’m not so sure that I’m ready. Especially today the nerves have been overwhelming even though I know that this is something that will be good for me in ways I can’t even imagine yet. Still I am nervous and still, today, I found the need to introspect and add to this blog in hopes of finding some sort of inner peace. One more week until I begin the journey of a lifetime.

One more week until I get to meet the people with whom I will be serving over this next year, as well as all the other YAVs who have decided to answer the call and devote a year of their life to the work of God. This is a source of some excitement for me. I’ve been able to get to know some of the others who will be in Tucson with me, but there’s only so much you can do to get to know someone via email and Facebook. It will be good to get to meet everyone at last and learn more about what this YAV thing actually means. One more week until we are all finally together.

One more week until I move across the country from my fiancée Mariah. She has been a rock to me during this summer, even when she hasn’t quite accepted the fact that the date of my departure quickly approaches. But at the times when I need it most, she reminds me of why I’m doing this, even as she would rather me stay and be with her. One more week until the thought of leaving becomes the reality of separation.

One more week.

One more week to prepare myself through prayer. One more week until I begin to see if I have what it takes to complete this year. One more week until I face challenges like never before, grow like never before, and experience things that I never would have dreamed of.

One more week.