Goodbye, Farewell, Au Revoir

Any way you say it, it isn't easy. We say goodbye to people all the time. This week I had to say goodbye to SJ, who is like another daughter to me. She is going to be away for three months. I am so excited for her because she is going to Israel to minister but humanly speaking it hurts my heart to say goodbye.

 Can you think of a situation that was more difficult for you than others to say goodbye?

The first time I can remember how goodbye affected me was when I was a little girl. My Graw lived about 7 hours away from us and we would go there in the summer on vacation. Her farm was on a big hill. When it was time to leave my dad would drive our station wagon down the hill and a little ways down the road and then my mom would get out of the car and wave back to my Graw, who was standing at the top of the hill. When she would get back into the car she would be quietly crying. As a child, it hurt me to see my mom crying but I didn't totally understand it...until I was an adult and moved 1200 miles away from my parents and had to say goodbye.  I have now had to say goodbye to my daughter 2 times this past year as she went off to college and it hurts my heart. God has given us hearts and feelings to love and care and show emotions. But there are still times when we have to say goodbye. There are times we say goodbye to someone and we know that we won't see each other again. I am so thankful for the times that God has allowed my paths to cross with other Christians and friendships are formed, even if for only a little while. But we have a bond that lasts longer than this life. If we are Christians then we know that we will see each other again and rejoice together in eternity.

While we may not see someone every day, we have ways of keeping in touch-telephones, letters, and pictures. It is a way to have a part of that person with us one day at a time, even in absence. But it is comforting to know that there IS someone who will never leave us. Christ came to earth in human form and dwelt here among us for about 33 years, so that He could die on the cross and take our sins for us. But, when He left, He promised to leave the Holy Spirit with us.

John 14:16

"And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;"

Although God is not physically here with me, I can be assured that He is still with me. He gave us the Bible-His love letter-and told us that He would always be there for me.

Hebrews 13:5

"and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee."

And as I have been teaching the kids in Vacation Bible School this week-The Bible says it, and that settles it.

We can rest in the fact that although goodbyes will always be part of our human time lines, God will never leave us. It should also motivate us to witness to all of those around us so that we can know that we will all be able to rejoice together forever once we are heaven-'goodbye' won't be in our vocabulary.