One you asked for; the other you did not.
One comes as an answered prayer; the other comes as retribution.
One is a pull; the other is a push.
One is freedom; the other is captivity.
One looks like a win; the other looks like a loss.
One feels pregnant with possibilty; the other feels clouded by questions.
One draws you towards the future; the other keeps you stuck in the past.
Both are difficult roads to travel.
Both uproot you from the ordinary.
Both remix relationships.
Both involve a radical re-orientation of life.
Both feel like a surreal dream.
Both come with tears and grief.
Both can—dare I say will—be used by God for your formation and the good of others.
Is what you’re experiencing deliverance or exile? If it all feels a bit muddled, the answer is probably yes.
