Goodbyes have never been easy...

Today Prince T is on his way home from New Orleans, where he has been at a conference for several days. He will be home tonight before he leaves again tomorrow, this time for his Kenya medical mission trip. We have been saying good-bye to each other at the airport quite frequently lately, which is something we have rarely had to do since we got married nearly 4 years ago. No matter how rarely we have to do it, I still struggle with saying an airport good-bye almost as much as I did during the 6 years that we dated before getting married. The pit in my stomach, knowing how much I will miss him, is still the same.

Maybe T was feeling the same way, because he sent me an awesome podcast via email today. It is a sermon by one of our favorite Christian leaders, Tim Keller, pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City. The podcasts are available for free at ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=352660924 , and I highly recommend them. The one T sent me is called "Sexuality and Christian Hope." Now don't get the wrong idea. In this sermon, Keller highlights how amazing and radically different the Christian understanding of sexuality, marriage and singleness are from that of the rest of the world. It promises to be thought provoking and encouraging no matter what your status in life.

One part I really loved focused on the Christian idea of marriage (not to say that there aren't outstanding comments on singleness and sexuality):

"When you fall in love with somebody, you shouldn't just be falling in love with what they are, you should be excited about their future as well. You should be attracted to what God is going to make them, so far as you can discern. Falling in love, in the Christian sense, means saying: 'I am excited about your future, and I am excited about being a part of getting you there. It is going to be hard, but we're going to get there together." That hope that you are going to get there--stainless and without wrinkle, radiant and beautiful--is the goal of marriage. But what a long journey! And yet, it is our understanding of that journey that makes marriage both realistic and yet joyful. If you believe marriage is just a duty, you don't see the glory of it, and if you think it is just to make you happy, you are going to be absolutely disappointed."

What a journey! I am so glad to be on it with T. As I send T off again, I am excited to see what is in store for him in Africa, how he will grow and how he will serve others. But that doesn't mean I won't miss him...

Happily Ever,

Queen B