My LIttle Girl Is Ready to Fly

The picture above was taken 21 years ago at the Pittsburgh airport as Dinita’s and my family said good-bye to us as we headed to Thailand. The little 15 month girl between me and my dad is Rachel. Things have changed quite a bit at airports since 1992 so we’ll not be walking to the gate … but we will be dropping Rachel off at the Cleveland airport as she leaves for Jakarta, Indonesia and I’m just now getting the flood of emotions and pain that my mom and dad must have gone through that August morning so long ago.

I can’t imagine a more bitter-sweet moment. (Although the day that I walk her up the isle will likely top this one!)

There is incredible joy and thanksgiving to God for the abundance of His grace in her life. How many young people have great dreams in their early years but the dream so often fades or gets sidetracked? We have watched as God continued to foster in Rachel’s heart and mind a vision and dream of teaching children of many different cultures. In about 8^th grade when most kids are studying the Toys-R-Us catalogue in November, Rachel had a catalogue from Global Adventures posting all the different short term missions trips. She didn’t want Christmas gifts ... she wanted money to go on a missions trip. She ended up going to Costa Rica for two weeks. Since then she has become a seasoned world traveler and sometimes she seems more at home in foreign cultures than she does in Fairlawn. She easily engages people of different cultures and has a way of building bridges with them with just her smile and laugh. Those at IWU who were her mentors and instructors talk in glowing terms of how she was able to so naturally embrace education principles for a broad variety of cultural backgrounds. Those who worked with her during her student teaching in Sheng Yong, China told her after a couple of weeks that it was like she had always been a part of the school. She just fit in perfectly.

During a visit with Rachel’s principal adviser for education I thanked him for all he and IWU did to help her grow into such a godly woman. His response was that they are able to do only so much, it really is a matter of what students bring with them to school, and then he added, “She brought a lot with her.”

I remember the first time that Rachel played an offertory at church. I got up and almost couldn’t go on I was so incredibly proud. I feel that way to the 10^th power today. And I have only the Lord to thank and praise for the way he has blessed her and us through the years. It’s his grace and goodness that has brought this joy and pride into our lives!

But then, there is tomorrow morning.(July 17)

I can very easily recall the emotions that I had the day that we put her on the plane to go to Costa Rica for two weeks. I can’t imagine what I’ll be feeling like, 24 hours from now.

Thankfully, now there is email, Facebook, instant messaging, Facetime and Skype. The world has gotten smaller with the technology. But these past few weeks of having her at home and traveling through Thailand together are going to be cherished memories. Her warmth and joy will be missed. I might even come to the point of missing those early morning fog horn nose blowing sessions. She is fun! And her leaving will mean a “fun” deficit of sorts.

This morning I was in 2 Corinthians 2:14-15a: But thank God! He has made us his captives and continues to lead us along in Christ’s triumphal procession. Now he uses us to spread the knowledge of Christ everywhere, like a sweet perfume. Our lives are a Christ-like fragrance rising up to God.(NLT) 

I’m going to miss that “Christ-like” fragrance that Rachel has brought to our lives, family and our church. But He has led her as His captive to Indonesia where she will spread the knowledge of Christ like sweet perfume.

I love you Rachel and my prayer is that His grace would continue to flow through you and touch lives for His glory just as he has used you to bless us for these past 22 years.

Grace, Peace, Joy and His Unfathomable Love to you!

Dad 

Vacationing in Cha-Am, Thailand in June