(May 25th, 2015: Flying ATL to LAX to start my new job at Kenco
Logistics.)
I'm currently sipping Sprite and listening to “Rain” by Blackmill,
30,000ft above Earth in a large metal object that is soaring 550mph through the
air in the direction of the City of Angels (how the heck is flying casual?).
For the first time in a long time I'm leaving Lookout Mountain, the 2,388ft
hill that I call home. I'm filled with emotion as my head rings with the words
of Bilbo Baggins from The Return of the King: "I
think I'm quite ready for another adventure!" Indeed, I think I am quite
ready for another adventure, yet acute nostalgia occupies my mind and body. The
dialectical dynamic that accompanies this category of cultural climate change
causes a unique intrapersonal dialogue to commence. I’m confronted by the
time/space reality of human beings:
like it or not, we are constantly stepping away from the past towards the
future. In our perception, the present is both impossible to hold on to and
impossible to escape. We are subject to the laws of nature, but there is
significant space for us to move within them. Each moment is an intersection involving opportunity cost. Saying “yes” to one thing entails saying “no” to another
thing and “what if” questions ominously linger at these intersections, eager to
attach the weight of doubt to the decisions of uncertain travelers. Even so,
the momentum of life continues to propel us forward and as we put one foot in
front of the other, we learn who we are, why we are, where we came from, where
we are going, what to hold on to and what to let go of.
Quick Tangent:
Even when we are “still”, the earth is rotating at a speed of
1000mph and is orbiting the sun at 67,000mph, not the mention the various
movements of our solar system, the Milky Way Galaxy, the Local Group, the Local
Supercluster, the Observable Universe and the Unobservable Universe. WHAT A
DANCE WE ARE IN!!!
(I digress…I’ll save the full cosmic tangent for another post.)
Anyways, we have to let go of what has been in lieu of what
will be, forgoing, but not forgetting, the known in pursuit of the unknown. As I wrestle with this
dilemma, I realize that it’s impossible to rationalize the mysterious tension
that gobbles my gut, so I’m choosing to rely on faith rather than logic (not
that the two are necessarily at odds).
The truth is that I love Chattanooga deeply. It is the scenic city
where the majority of my family, friends and memories reside. It is the
organic, fertile soil that the Farmer planted me in. It is where my roots have
grown deep and I have sprouted up. It is green and flourishing and a river runs
through it. A large part of me wants to stay, but the soft, persistent voice
that I hear in moments of quiet solitude urges me to go. It has convinced me
that a harvest is imminent, that there is more land to farm, that it’s
necessary for me to vacate the plot that I have inhabited in order for it to be
plowed and repurposed, that it’s necessary for me to inhabit a new soil with
new nutrients in order to keep thriving. In this way, the inner voice has led
me to believe that this transplantation process, which involves crazy
cross-pollination, will enable me to further realize my potential.
All this analogical talk to say, the Lord has called me to a new
space for this next season of life and I’m freely choosing to follow His
irresistible voice (by the way, I love that paradox).
In this cross-country transition, I am comforted to know that my
soul mate, Nina, will be with me. I have been blessed and inspired by her
vision for this move and by her willingness to follow the King’s call to act in
Los Angeles. She is an incredible woman and it’s been exciting to see the light
in her eyes as she prepares for this adventure. Ultimately, I am comforted by
the knowledge that Jesus is our creator, sustainer and redeemer, and He is with
us always.
The Lord is calling us to do the work of His Kingdom in LA and He
has been faithfully preparing us for this work. Our time in Chattanooga,
especially the past four years at Covenant College, has taught and equipped us
to do this work. Through the investment of many wonderful people, we have
established a firm foundation as a family and are now ready to build upon it.
My heart is filled with profound gratitude as I reflect on my 24
years of life. I have been given all the important things in life and with this
comes the responsibility, or as my mom says, "the ability to
respond," by being a good steward. To me, “good stewardship” entails using
one’s gifts to make love manifest. I want to learn what this stewardship looks
like in the little moments of routine day-to-day life because I believe it
brings God pleasure and makes me resonate as a personal (in my dad's words:
“Hudson qua Hudson”).
Towards this end I go,
Sojourning westward towards the sunshine and the sea,
In the security of my Almighty Father's sovereignty.
California, it’s time to party, SMEEG
STYLE!
