Oil on Aaron's beard

"Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity!  It is like precious oil upon the head, running down on the beard, the beard of Aaron.  Running down on the edge of his garments.  It is like the dew of Hermon, descending upon the mountains of Zion; for there the Lord commanded the blessing - life forevermore." 

Psalm 133

     I read this Psalm a couple of days ago, and as I reflected on this promise a very important fact dawned on me:  brothers (or sisters) dwelling together in unity has nothing to do with the absence of conflict.  To the contrary, real unity springs from a deep love and commitment to one another that refuses to settle for anything less than restoration in the relationship.  In fact, it is the reality of conflict in relationships that provides the fertilizer for growing deep and healthy... as long as we are willing to push through the pain and confusion.  I can attest to the pain of relational disconnects that remain unresolved and without closure, and I can testify to the blessing of real honesty and vulnerability that leads to real restoration.  Sadly, we seem far too willing to live with relational "short-circuits" that drain us and rob us of our joy.

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So, where are we in this transition process?  Well, still with our feet in mid-air in many ways.  We have had many visitors to our house, but still not even one firm offer.  I have gone ahead and booked our flights back to Colorado on November 2nd, yet without a permanent address to provide to the shipping company.  We are moving forward entirely by faith at this point - knowing that we need to get our girls into school, yet having many issues hanging without closure.  We are currently in England for our last visit with Daphne's parents, and we return home to the daunting tasks of selling our home, our car and many of our belongings within the next week.  Sounds insane, doesn't it?  Maybe it is, and yet we have no other option.  So we go forward day by day - trying to walk by faith, and often struggling with insecurities and doubt.  We're attempting something that is so far beyond us that it's doomed to failure unless the Lord is in it.  

I want to share one experience with you that will remain with me as long as I live.  Long before I reached my own point of crisis I had begun working on plans to bring the five National Operations Directors to Paris with their wives for a week of rest, encouragement and romance.  After my resignation the leadership team decided to keep the plans as they were, and last week six men arrived in Paris with their spouses.  To our great delight, Daphne and I were invited to spend an afternoon and evening alone with these precious brothers.  It felt so strange for me to arrive at the office and walk into a meeting that I had always planned and led for the past five years - and to be outside the whole event.  However, any pangs of sorrow or regret were dispelled over the next two hours as Daphne and I shared our journey with these men - then sat and wept openly as they each vulnerably expressed their love for us, and how our lives have deeply impacted each of them.  Our emotional tanks were filled right to the brim, and in the midst of our grief we felt deeply affirmed by the Lord.  This leave-taking has been far more difficult than we could ever have imagined.