Dreams, Realized

I found out yesterday that my middle child, my only daughter, has been accepted as the intern to the Dean of Women at the new Calvary Chapel Bible College extension campus in Northern Italy. She will depart late August and work both semesters until next May. She graduates next week and this was the next post-college step she wanted to take. She is very excited and rightfully so; she wants nothing more than to be an available, pliable container for God to use and he led her through this door. She is running through it with enthusiasm.

I am thrilled that God paved the way for her to follow through on her first option. Any of us crusty veterans of prayer and The Journey can testify that is not always the case. I’m also proud that she is growing into the type of woman that a startup extension campus wants to have on staff to minister to their students. Her application (which she let me edit--I’m still allowed in that circle and I am thankful) was a deep, well thought-out verbal breakdown of her heart. After reading it I would have hired her and I am pleased that someone else had the sense and foresight to see the same thing.

Occasionally, in the midst of all the gushing and excitement, a small taste of loss jumps up and taps the back of my throat. It’s natural; the bond between us is strong. I will miss her but I can’t begin to kid myself that I didn’t see this coming. She was destined for this, her heart wide open, begging to please, ready and willing for anything—as long as it was God-directed—and it has been a privilege to watch her grow into this phase. For now, I will enjoy the summer with her home and make sure her mom and I get our passports up to date. God may direct us to a European vacation next spring (I’ll have my daughter pray for us...)