Our Farewell Tour

Today caps off a long week of farewells and goodbyes. Last Sunday, May 25, was my last official sermon at Phillips Street. At that time, I said our public goodbye to the congregation.

On Monday, May 26--Memorial Day, my family visited our dear friends, the Lawsons, for our usual Memorial Day feast. (It was actually on this day, that I began this blog. I'll never forget the tutorial that Rick gave Julie.) It was a bittersweet time, as we knew it would be the last time we saw them for a while.
















Running errands on Wednesday ended us at the church building well before mid-week Bible study. Julie and I knew that this was our final Wednesday evening service as members of the Phillips Street church of Christ, so we let the girls enjoy running around the empty building and climbing on the steps. Macy even did a concert for us up on the stage. It was cute.

Thursday, May 29, was Macy's last day of Kindergarten. Although Macy doesn't know it, Julie and I were sad for her because we knew that next year Macy would be in a different school and not with her Kindergarten friends. Also on this Thursday, Macy had a doctor's appointment to check on her recovery from her May 14th surgery. This appointment was in Memphis, so we visited Mimi and PawPaw. We know that we will see them very often, but we also know that things will be very different. We left their house, after dinner, feeling sad. (We also left with a few trash bags and towels since Macy had been throwing up! Yuck.)




Thursday and Friday also happened to be the days that the Lawsons were loading their moving van and heading for Nashville, Arkansas. We talked to them on the phone throughout these days--keeping all of the emotions of moving on the tops of our minds.

Today, Sunday, June 1, the Phillips Street church of Christ held a wonderful send-off meal for us. We said farewell (not goodbye) to our friends. Our girls received numerous nice gifts; Julie received a couple of things for the house. And we all were blessed with a box of money!! Julie saw it first and just thought it was a decorative box. When she opened it up, we were pleasantly surprised to find many folded bills. We are so very thankful for this amazingly kind gesture. We also appreciate the many kind and encouraging words that so many shared with us. It was a sad and delightful day.

Ironically, today as we say farewell to Phillips Street, the Lawsons are saying hello to their new work in Nashville, Arkansas; such is the cycle of ministry. You're always loved at some place.

D