Embark

Embark.

It's a word that never fails to thrill me.

For as long as I can remember, I have been afflicted with wanderlust.

Whenever I'm outdoors and a plane flies over head and contrails paint the sky, I cannot help but wonder where those lucky souls are bound for and wish that I were up there among them.

An explorer at heart, I long to take wing and fly to cities, states, and countries unknown. The world is a vast expanse to explore and get lost in. I have been blessed to have done a fair amount of traveling in my 38 years; I've even been able to put down stakes and live in two foreign countries for a significant amount of time.

I wouldn't trade these sights, smells, tastes for anything. They have made me a wiser, deeper, kinder person. I know that as long as our bank balance and my body and current stage allows, I will always say yes to Going.

To traveling.

But embarking on a new venture in my life? One fraught with unknowns and little people who will be looking at me for a whole new level of instruction.

Literal instruction.

Because, tomorrow is our first day of home school.

I'm scared to death -- of choosing the wrong curriculum, of screwing up our kids' education, of them "falling behind" -- and to be honest -- spending too much time in our pjs.

I never thought this is where I would end up. Where we would end up.

Yet, here we are.

A few months ago, I was at our church's sorta bi-weekly worship team meeting. As is our custom, we pray for each other and for the various needs that team members share. I didn't share anything. Everything was fine. Life was good...busy, but good.

However, our worship leader stopped his prayer and said he wanted to pray for me. And he did, but then he stopped and started to tell me how he believed that God was going to take me on a new journey beyond what I have been used to the past couple of years and beyond what I could ever imagine. And that He would be cutting through all of the busyness and projects and start something.....new. A new journey.

An embarkation.

Okay, he didn't say that word precisely, but that was the gist. And, when he said that, I was thinking, "oh, wouldn't that be nice to have maybe a new friendship, or maybe a writing gig, or some other opportunity."

I never, ever thought that the embarking would be into home school.

It's definitely "beyond what I could ever imagine" alright.

But, yet, He's called me to the journey. The plane is fueled up and on the tarmac. And while my luggage might not be fully or adequately packed -- and heck, I might only have the tinniest carry-on bag to take on board at this point -- the final call for boarding has gone out.

It's time for a new journey to a somewhat ambiguous destination.

Yet, I know the joy is in the journey and in trusting that the metal tube hurtling through the airspace -- defying the law of gravity and other physics -- is also a contained cocoon of God's graciousness. And that I will be okay -- we will be okay -- because we are in His hands and following the plan He has laid out for us.

No, I may not fully comprehend the destination...but I am fully choosing to embark.

I've handed over my boarding pass, taken my seat and kicked off my shoes. I've stowed all my baggage of worry and doubt away and now all that's left is my favorite part -- looking out the window as we power down the runway and build up airspeed to do what seems impossible.

And I hear my Father say, "Heather...prepare for take off."