Tip Day...

"February 21, 2022"

What's so significant about February 21, 2022? It's not that the Beijing Winter Olympics will have just ended (although that will be a big deal). It doesn't have anything to do with Spring Training for baseball (as far as I know anyway). February 21, 2022, was supposed to be my "Tip Day."

I moved to St. Louis as a freshman in college (Go Bears!) on August 4, 2003. It was the hottest day of the year and apparently the hottest day in St. Louis in quite some time. At that point, I was 18 years, 6 months, and 21 days old. I can't tell you exactly what made me think this but as soon as I moved into my dorm room, I knew that I was not going to be living full time in California ever again. When that realization happened, I looked forward to my "tip day." That would be the day that I was going to have lived in Missouri longer than I'd lived in California. It was going to be a pretty great day.

My dad grew up in St. Louis and we would visit a lot of summers. I grew up a Cardinals fan and a Blues fan. I love Imo's Pizza and White Castle. A friend once told me that while I may never be able to say that I'm from St. Louis, I can call myself a St. Louisan.

Back in 2002, when I was a Junior in high school, if you'd told me that I would leave California, I would have told you that you were crazy. Yet, something changed and I found myself in St. Louis. A few years later, if you'd told me that I'd ever leave St. Louis, I'd have told you you were crazy. Yet, something changed and I moved to CoMO. Even just 2 years ago, if you'd told me that I'd ever leave CoMO, I'd have told you that you were crazy. Yet, something changed and as you're reading this, I'm now a resident of Nebraska. I guess Jesus does some funny stuff.

Now, Tip Day is going to mean something different for me. I'll still celebrate it as the day I've spent more of my life living out of California than in it. Maybe I'll make it a tip day for being a Midwestern dweller. I'm not sure. What I do know is that when I got here in 2003, I was sure I'd never leave. Now, here we are, and things have changed.

Transitioning is not something that I do particularly well. I'm a rhythms and structures kind of guy. This move isn't going to be easy for me, which is one of the reasons why we're moving during the early part of our Sabbatical. I'm going to need as much time as possible to develop new rhythms in my new home. If you have a moment over these next few months, please pray for me, my family, and our transition.

For those keeping track at home, Nebraska-Missouri Tip Day is July 22, 2032. That will be the day I'll have lived in Nebraska longer than in Missouri. Here's hoping we get there.

Have an excellent day!

~Adam