Keys

Last Thursday we left the rental house we'd called "home" for the past year. As I placed my house key on the kitchen counter, I noticed that I still had several keys left on my key ring. I had no idea what these keys belonged to. I no longer had a car, or a house, or a storage facility, or a safety deposit box, or even a padlock! Somehow over the years I'd collected these keys for various doors and locks, and then when I no longer needed them I evidently just kept them. Those extraneous keys stayed in my purse for a few more days, but this morning I threw them out.

Throwing out those keys seemed to cement the finality of our departure from the United States. Up until now, it hasn't seemed entirely real that we're actually moving overseas. It's been a dream for so long, and now it's finally about to come true. I am incredibly excited, but also a little bit nervous about having a one-way ticket to Lyon -- there is no return flight; there's no going back.

Holding on to useless keys that opened no locks is a silly thing to do, but I think in some small way it symbolizes my desire for safety and security. Here in the United States, everything is comfortable, easy, and routine. I know how to do basically everything I need to do to survive. When I move to France, though, everything will be unfamiliar, difficult, and even scary at times. I'll have to start from scratch, learning everything from where the grocery stores are to opening a French bank account, and a million things in between, all in a language that I'm uncomfortable with.

I really don't like feeling helpless. I don't think many people do. We all like to feel competent and confident. But in anticipating several weeks (or months) of a steep learning curve, I know there will be lots of times when I will feel incompetent. In those times, I need to remind myself why I moved to France in the first place. It's because God called our family to serve him by ministering to people in this country. I need to keep my eyes focused on who Jesus is, and remember that he is sufficient to meet all my needs; that in my weakness, I actually have his strength.

When Jesus asked Peter, one of his disciples, "Who do you say that I am?" Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Jesus blessed Peter, then went on to say that he would establish his church, and that he'd give Peter the keys to the Kingdom. Wouldn't it be wonderful to have those keys on a key ring?