About Resigning: First Touches of Grief

Last night I made the official announcement of my resignation to the church council. It was a good meeting, and while some were surprised by the timing of the resignation, the council was very gracious…so much so that they decided to send their Advent Vespers offerings to our little mission church, which is a wonderful gesture!

This morning I arrived and there was an email from a parishioner (and spouse of a council member) both congratulating me and expressing grief over the resignation. She wrote very movingly about a time in their lives when I was present with them, and it hit me just how connected I feel to so many people here, including this family. They have been so wonderful to my family. Anyway, I read the email and instantly started to get very teary. I know leaving is the right thing, and I am very excited about this mission work, but saying farewell will be very hard.