Giving Up My Key

Wow!!!  Tomorrow, the sun will come out. Tomorrow, God will continue to show up.  Tomorrow, lunch will go on as usual at The Window.....but....for me it will be my last time.

Today I gave my key to Dawn Yoder, who is the new Kitchen Administrator.  It felt weird to hand my key over to someone else. The key that I've had on my key ring for 4 1/2 years. The key that opened all the doors and allowed me to enter into a place where God is at work.

I didn't think too much about it - it was a quick decision on my part but as she took that key reality came crashing in as I realized that I no longer had the honor and privilege to enter into any door at The Window, I now had to ask permission. I now have to be the one to borrow someone's key if I need to go over to the pantry or down to the basement or even to the staff bathroom. Wow!!!

So many lives that touched mine over these past 4 1/2 years. So many that I've given a smile to, given a hug, given a cup of coffee, given a meal, even given a kick in the backside when they needed it. =)  These years have been precious, challenging, overwhelming, nerve wracking, stressful, full of laughter, tears, dancing, singing and a whole lot of God stuff. God has shown up in ways that I will never ever forget. He has shown up in the tiniest of details to the hugest of watching multiplication of food right before my very eyes, to watching the sugar bin never run dry without purchasing one bag of sugar in 4 years. I have watched Him touch people's lives, giving them tents, shoes, jobs, places to live, giving them hope for the future. I have watched Him help people get sober, clean from addictions, get their kids back and move on with their lives in productive ways. I have also watched with  pain and tears as people walked back into lifestyles of addictions and even incarceration. I have also watched the community come together when one of our own passed away. I have lived a lot of life during these years and I wouldn't trade one of these moments for anything.