When I moved away in the summer 0f 1999 I was just a year out of college. Now I have my 10 year reunion to look forward to in about two weeks. Many of my college friends were still around and I was heavily involved in the high school group at Third, my church here. My college friends have dispersed for the most part, though many still live in Virginia. The ones still in Richmond have families, jobs and other friends. Will I be able to reignite those relationships?
The bulk of the people I know in Richmond are people who've supported me and followed me through my years of ministry in Austria and Orlando. Most of them I got to know at Third, but they've scattered over the years and attend a variety of churches. Very few of them are peers, in the sense that they are close in age and have spouses and small children.
Over the last 9 years my visits to Richmond have been quick trips filled with appointments -- trying to catch up with as many people as possible in a short amount of time. How do I approach those relationships now that I'm here to stay? If I'm not conscientious about this I could wind up seeing some of these folks less now than when I lived in another state or country. There was an intentionality in my visits. Can I maintain that intentionality while living here -- balancing a job, a family and the challenge of having the people I care about not linked by anything other than that they know me!?!?
This has been on my mind a lot lately, even as Naomi and I have been concentrating on settling in, looking for long-term housing and learning (or re-learning) our way around town. We are eager to find some normalcy and then get about building deep, consistent relationships.
Now, on to some recent Brennan pics... he is, after all, the star of the show!
Easter @ Southeast
I'm really not sure about this whole "dress me up like the Easter Bunny thing". But everyone else thinks I'm adorable.
Happy Boy!
What's this look all about?!?!
Back to Happy!
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