Moving

A number of individual situations have set me to think of moving. As a kid, my family moved often. I was born at the start of the baby boom. in my childhood years, I lived with my family in Ohio, New York City, Long Island, Poultney, Vt, Windsor, VT, Manchester NH, Rye NH, Needham Ma. We moved a lot and got good at it. Sometimes it was for the good and sometimes there were problems. But changes were hard for me at first. Then it was just what it was. The only thing that was consistent was another place.

I do not integrate well. And I just leave when it is time. With some rare exceptions once I leave I leave the relationships, too.

So, I am a bit set off by the demise of my instrument business and the sober house. I have no doubt that it is time for these changes. But they remind me of all the moves. Moves are about new opportunities, but also about loss. I never thought much about it before. Only now do I think about the whole pilgrim theme. I was always forward-looking in my childhood. My family went with me. We were the unit that travels together. Now I can look back and see how life is. I never saw moves as an end. I saw them as a beginning.

At my age, it occurs to me that moves are also a loss business. I always looked at moving as a win. New stuff came with moves. And leaving meant that my mistakes were in the rear vision mirror. The theme of being a pilgrim is in the DNA of the faith troops. Pilgrim on a journey home fits the theology we embrace. The bible tells full stories about pilgrim heroes.

Humans by necessity are pilgrims. We see dimly. Our future is over the horizon, God’s security over the next life is heavily limited to hope and faith. The older I get the more I rely on my Lord’s faithfulness to me here to carry me through to an unseen future. We walk by faith and not by sight.

Here we all must admit we faith folk and recovery folk are in the same boat. But our beliefs are different. Our trust is different as we turn the corner on the final lap. We both trust in the character of our God. Jesus faith folk trust in Jesus’s sacrifice to carry us through to another world. Recovery people trust is God’s benevolence, And they trust in their good works especially their sober life to carry them to that far shore safe and sound.

I am obviously in the Faith tribe and trust in Jesus. But I am hard-pressed to make an argument for Jesus folks rationality these days. I feel for Recovery people if they look to us faith folks to reassure them we are rational. For many of us are certifiable nuts buried in foolishness and are reaping the just reward for patently stupid.

But I can only say to my recovery brother and sisters follow Jesus and He will get you home on your pilgrim journey.