When I was in 6th grade, I won a limbo contest while dressed as Cleopatra during our middle school Halloween dance. I hiked up my golden skirt, tipped back my snake-crowned head, and went as low as I could go. It would have been better only if I could have accomplished the feat in my youngest sister’s hot air balloon costume which. was. epic. (Bonus: Can you guess what the other Hatcher sis was dressed as?)

I still glory in the memory of my victory, but sadly that 6th grade dance was the peak of my limbo prowess. The older I get, the harder it is to join every limbo boy and girl all around the limbo world in dipping under the ever-lowering broomstick. It’s tough to be flexible.

And I’m not just speaking literally here (yeah, you guessed it). In the midst of ending my fourth and final year teaching at Morrison Academy Kaohsiung, packing up my life to move to Taichung in one week, and preparing to get married in just over a month, I am in limbo.

I keep trying to remind myself that this time is precious and this season will be over in the blink of an eye. I don’t want to miss anything, and I certainly don’t want to waste the time being stressed out and inflexible. Although for someone who is not so skilled at limbo-ing (literally or figuratively), it’s a tall order to find peace in the midst of all this chaos.

One particular difficulty of this current limbo is that I’m only sort of saying goodbye to my life here. My goodbyes sound something like, “Well, I’m moving to Taichung next year, but I’m sure I’ll see you around again….” [voice trailing off as I think of how seldom it might be that I see you]. The reality is that I’m not completely leaving (and praise the Lord for that!). I’m so blessed to be staying in Taiwan, and I’m excited about what God has for my future here with Charles. I will still see my MAK co-workers during system professional learning days three times a year, I might bump into friends at island-wide sports tournaments, I’ll make a point to visit my church, and I will certainly come back to spend time with my sisters. But my life is changing.

In my final week living in Kaohsiung, I’m trying to seque well into the next phase of life. That means saying goodbye and realizing that life is about to change. It also means balancing the logistical tasks (all the packing, closing accounts, “checking out,” etc.) with spending time with friends. It means anticipating what’s next while cherishing what has passed.

Please pray for me as I go through this final week in Kaohsiung and all my transitions. I know God has good things in store, but the limbo is not quite as fun as it used to be. Change is not easy, but I’m thankful that I don’t have to rely solely on my own flexibility and skill. I’ve got the hands of God, family, and friends extending and intertwining under my back to catch me and lift me up when my knees buckle and I’ve gone too low. Thank you to all who have given me the support to keep dancing this crazy dance.

*Click to read other posts in my {Segue} series.