Van Minutes

Hello friends, family and supporters,

I am sitting at the Dallas Arboretum right now on a perfect sunny day. I always like the flowers, ponds, green plants and the view. I came here to write to you the last DTS update for our VanMinutes blog. I dreamed of a day where the last DTS update would read, “We made it to graduation!” We would share what’s coming up and so on. But there won’t be such an update. Because their may no longer be a “we.”

Be patient with me as I write a very difficult thing: Karin and I are separating, and the way things stand as of Thursday when she visited here for her things, we will be filing for divorce as fast as is convenient. I will be living in Canada in two weeks, working out what comes next. I’m starting at my brothers house and going from there. I hope in the short term to get a job and an apartment. The where has complicating factors and I want the best solution.

Even folks who have heard this already are still shocked. Sorry to those who just found out by this update. We’ve been to counseling most of the year, and I have kept about 17-18 people pretty well informed especially this semester and it has exhausted me. I just can’t do that for everyone I know. Profs have been very understanding as this unfolded during crunch time. I am looking forward to seeing many of the Canadians receiving this update in the near future.

Since this is an update and not coffee at your house I can’t satiate all your concern driven curiosity. But I will say I’m crushed. I will also say I desire reconciliation. My goal is not to come home and burn bridges, whine and self destruct. I say that so the folks who love me will help me out if possible and keep me focused on my goals: getting personal support/healing and reconciliation. I cannot say much more about the future because I really don’t know much more. I don’t have the implications all neatly worked out, especially for vocation. This situation impacts that greatly. The dean did offer comfort by telling me it is not necessarily over as far as DTS is concerned. That depends, just as it did when I came in the first place, on how I conduct myself. Whether or not I actually will ever be ready/want to come back to finish, well, we must for now leave that in the “really don’t know much more” category.

I just read John 14-17 before writing this to you, one of my favorite passages of Jesus speech in the Upper Room discourse. The first verse says, “Let not your hearts be troubled.” The last, “I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you [Father] have loved me may be in them, and I in them.” Because of this three-in-one God we have I can respect the statement coming from Jesus, “Let not your hearts be troubled.” It’s not empty advice coming from him. With the spirit he promised to send in his place, He can back that up with serious firepower. I really believe that this truth can help both of us with our most troubled hearts.

For the Americans, I’m leaving may 26th if you want to say good bye. I will miss you and the DTS community. It is a unique place that means a lot to me.

I’m signing off, I appreciate your prayers for us as the next year unfolds.

Love,
Dan

Advertisement