Adios...

Adiós. I'm pretty sure that one doesn't have to be a native Spanish speaker or reside in the great state of Texas to know what that means. It's one of two Spanish words I knew before I moved to Houston nearly nine years ago, and it's perhaps the word I've used most flippantly since then.

A Dios. "Adiós" is an expression of farewell, but its literal Spanish meaning is, as a friend told me once, "to God". I'm bidding Houston "adios" for a month, as I step onto a plane this Friday that takes me to Costa Rica to participate in a Spanish language program. I have been very excited about this journey, but in the past week or so, I've been bogged down by a bit of uncertainty and fear about the future, especially as I review a flashcard or two at a stoplight ("What? I don't remember seeing this!") or pack in time to hang out with folks before I leave because I know I'm going to miss hanging out with them for a month.

Yeah. Call me crazy. I don't always embrace change and opportunity with the freedom I've imagined I should have, and I've been feeling lately that God wants to work on that aspect of me some more. So, I'm hoping this month I'll learn to become even less attached or afraid. As I leave Houston, here's to giving more of my life completely to God...