My People

These are my people. 

My God loving, music loving, beer loving, gifted, powerful, funny, awesome friends. 

I love these people. 

Yesterday was our last Sunday to play all together before Jamie and Will leave for their exciting new adventure in Nashville. 

It was a good Sunday. 

My mind was all over the place as we played our first song.  I was thinking of the band, of other friends, of our house, of about a thousand other things.  I said a quick prayer when I realized I wasn't feeling it.  I didn't want to miss my last Sunday hugging Jamie's melodies because my brain was floating around in an abyss of worries and fractured thoughts.  God heard me, because suddenly my mind was back in my body.  I felt every word and heard every note everyone sang and played. I was present in those last moments with this group of people.  And it was so good.

Then I cried, which isn't unusual for me. :) 

There were a few tears of sadness, but more so there were tears of gratitude.  Gratitude for having these last couple of years to sing with Jamie and, because of her, living out a passion of mine, meeting and loving all of these people, strengthening my relationship with God, and finally truly belonging to a church. 

Gratitude is a beautiful thing. 

Our band has a new lead singer and is looking for a new drummer.  And we will play on.  It will be awesome and fulfilling and beautiful to continue to lead people to feel fun and depth and freedom and emotions at church.  It won't be the same, which isn't to say it won't be great.  Just different.  And new.  Which I meet with equal parts anxiety and excitement. 

Jamie and Will head to Nashville soon to study and work and play music and make a life together. I will miss them too much to properly express and hope for them every happiness and success mixed with great times and good people and, always, heaps of love.