Shifting Focus

I have 20 days until I ship out of here. I have realized the pressures of seeing everyone to say goodbye, packing, and packing, and packing. Most of all, I've seen the pressure of putting my ministry out of focus, and focusing on how sad it will be to leave everyone. But there is a bigger picture here. I'm not leaving against my will to do some terrible job. No, I am leaving to have the privelage of serving my King. In a few weeks, I will be surrounded by "a great cloud of witnesses" all my own. That is, people who are missionaries too, who would leave their friends and family to minister to people in a far away land. And, most of all, I won't be "the missionary who is leaving" but rather a missionary who has just arrived.
Praise God for calling me. Praise Him for having all of time in His hands, and using it as He sees fit. And as long as I'm where He wants me to be, I won't feel the pain of the "sacrifice" I had to make to be there.