the Lord gave and the Lord has taken away

Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised. ~Job 1:21

4 years at Biola.

The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away.

23 years in the US.

The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away.

Although this season comes with so much joy, it also comes with grieving. But it is thankful grieving. Grieving what is no more, understanding the sheer grace that the Lord gave it to me in the first place.

A phone call saying that I was loosing literally every possession I had in my house in San Diego, my parents were loosing the house, and my father was going to jail.

The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away. JUST KIDDING!

Turns out there is absolutely nothing wrong with our home, any of our stuff, and absolutely no reason for anyone to go to jail. Sounds like a cruel joke, but sometimes life is a bit of a cruel joke.

What a week it has been! Loosing what was home, with my girlies at Biola, and then being told I was loosing everything that I had ever owned in my life, and the place that was "home" for the past 19 years. And then being told, "just kidding! everything is fine!"

The good news is I am road-tripping through some of the most beautiful areas in California. Napa, Bodega Bay, Point Rayes, San Francisco, and soon to head over to uncharted territory in Montana and Wyoming.

The Lord gives.
Friendship that will last despite any distance.

The Lord gives.
Places and people to call home when "normal" home no longer exists.

The Lord gives.
Security amidst uncertainty.

The Lord gives.
Hope.

The Lord gives.
Adventure.

The Lord gives.
And what he takes away was His anyways.