It's funny how life works. Everything always seems to balance out in the end. Things have a way of just reaching a natural equilibrium. Yeah, sometimes they're way far to the left, sometimes way far to the right. But eventually, at least in my experience, they find a middle point.
On Saturday, one of my two best friends will be departing for an eleven-month-long adventure around the world. Bambi will be visiting eleven countries along the way, and her team's goal is to be the hands and feet of Christ as they work with all sorts of people in all sorts of situations in all sorts of cultures. On the one hand, I'm incredibly excited that she has the opportunity to go on this journey. I know that God has big plans for growing her and using her on this trip, and she's ready to be used and grown... But let me be honest. I don't want to lose this girl. Not only is she one of my favourite people to photograph, but she's a confidante, someone I can always count on for honesty and wisdom... and a friend who makes me laugh constantly. My heart is already hurting for the loss of her, and she's not even gone! Throughout the day, I find myself plotting ways to keep her here... but in the end, I know that I would just be interfering with God's plan for her life. All I can hope is that she comes back ready to jump back into photoshoots and coffee dates at Alta.
Tuesday, August 18th, Kat is coming home! For those unaware, my sister/best friend combo has been globe-traipsing since January of this year. She started off her travels in Germany, where she was studying abroad. The experience took her to all sorts of cool places, including Ireland and Paris! She was home for about three weeks before a worship arts internship wisked her away to Bend, Oregon, having all sorts of life experiences without me. ("Sorry I didn't call you back," she apologised over the phone earlier tonight, "I was climbing a mountain." Oh, right, climbing a mountain. Nonchalantly. As if I shouldn't have been climbing it with her. As if she climbs mountains all the time. As if... sorry. I'm getting carried away.) I'm so excited to have her home in TWELVE days, to go to Taco Factory with her, to stay up late talking, to sleeping in the same bed and having Rylee take up more room than both of us combined. I'm excited for her to brush me off for some other friends some night... because she knows that we'll see each other soon and that I'll still love her, and that living five miles from each other again is a dream come true.
The bad news is that Bambi cannot freak out her friends by shooting mock weddings with me anymore. The good news is that Kat is just as photogenic as Bambi, so I'm sure we'll have lots of phototastic moments. The bad news is that I'm losing one friend. The good news is that another is returning. Life has reached this natural equilibrium, a balance of loss and return. I'm seeing this in so many other areas of my life, and I just love the way God works it all out. If I'd lost Bambi and Kat at the same time, I don't know how I'd cope. If they were both here... quite frankly, I don't think I'd have time for them both right now. In another situation, I've lost a really good friend to some hard circumstances, but gained a lifelong friend over some rather wonderful weeks. God is looking out for me. He's got my back. I can't wait to see what else is in store.
