Important Realizations

As most of you know (if you've been in Bay Springs within the last 3 weeks) I moved to Conway, Arkansas to finish my education at Central Baptist College. Its been a great first few days. I've met alot of new people, seen some that I have met through VSM Bootcamp and mission trips, and I've begun to figure out this town little by little. It's hard to take a small town boy into a big city and not expect him to get lost at least twice. I've been privileged to be among people that actually know where I'm coming from and have pretty much taken my in! Ha!
The Wednesday night and Thursday night while I was packing and squeezing in those last few moments (at least for a few weeks) I had with my family and friends, it began to sink in...even though I was excited about this new adventure that God led me to...I was also about to leave my family, my friends, the high school people I had gotten close to, the beloved Sylva Bay Saints, my youth group, and my church. Some people wouldn't have an issue leaving some of those things behind, but when you grew up with people that bent over backwards for you, played District and South State Championship games along side a band of brothers under the intense friday night lights and a crowd that is just as much involved in the game as the players, watched a youth group grow to an average of 15-20 kids, got to lead worship with some amazing musicians....its actually hard to drive away.The last thing I did before I left Friday morning was drop a friend that was closer than a brother off at his house after a movie. That car ride home became on of the longest drives I've ever made.
I didn't write all of this to depress you (or myself), I simply wrote this for you to realize the important things around you. The things that you dont think mean as much to you until they're gone. Of coarse I'll be going home as much as possible and trying to stay as up to date and involved as possible, but it won't ever be the same. When you see a piano what do you see? What do you hear? Do you see just a musical instument or a work of a master? I see neither. When I see that piano, my mind travels to the songs in the youth room that I played for entertainment or sometimes for worship. I remember the offeratories that I played (even though they were few and far between). I remember the Sundays before Easter and Christmas and the Sunday of a patriotic holiday when my grandmother would play and the Holy Spirit moved. Do you see? Its not the major things you always remember...most of the time its the small things that stick with you. Sitting on the couch with your mother listening to her talk doesn't seem like a life changing experience, but that is the kind of things that you will miss when those moments become few and far between.
Hold on to the little things. Embrace every moment like you may not have another one again. Treasure the little things. Love like crazy (yes...I did steal that from a song). And when it comes time to begin a new chapter, no matter how many pages lie between you and the rest of the story, remember all these things. Let go and let God! I found a note in my dorm room after my family left last Saturday. It kind of sums up some of this post. It was from my mom. In closing:
"I pray that God would fill your heart with dreams. And that faith gives you the courage to dare to do great things. I'm here for you whatever this life brings. So let my love give you roots. And help you find your wings." (Mark Harris-Find Your Wings)