The Transition Jitters of a Globe Trotter
Morobe Province on the way to Lae, Papua New Guinea 2022 There’s something about moving back and forth across the globe every few years that makes a person feel pretty vulnerable. You surrender your job, your house, your keys, your friends and rhythms and you feel, somehow, that you’ve surrendered your identity as well. You’re bare and defenseless with nothing but your suitcases and a flimsy plan that can go bottom up at the slightest provocation until you reach the other end of what a friend of mine calls “the travel tunnel”. A friend asked me today how I was feeling about going to the USA for furlough, and about my experiences with God or friends right now. I launched into my long list of to-dos that were done or not done, work tasks, ministry wrap ups, etc… Then she asked me, “but how are you feeling? ” That pulled me up short. Anyone who knows me knows that I’m pretty task oriented. Often, when I’m in a season of transition like this I like to keep the door between me and my emo