Thoughts on goodbyes

I could probably sum up saying goodbye in two words: not fun.  Seeing family and saying goodbye these last two weeks has really made me do some thinking. Saying goodbye seems to be just about as unnatural as death. Which leads me to thinking how thankful I am that I am not saying goodbye to loved ones that have passed away. I am simply saying goodbye for now. And not even that really. We can still email, write, call and Skype. Who knows, maybe even have some visits overseas. 

I just can't help but think of the Father and the Son and how they can comfort us each in our own goodbyes. Some of you have had to say goodbye to loved ones that have left this world. Some of you have had to say goodbye to jobs, dreams, college age children, family and friends that have moved, or perhaps you have just moved yourself. There are all sorts of goodbyes. Goodbye to a future no longer possible or at least seems impossible, goodbye to a way of living that was once more comfortable and so on.  These are the times to remember just exactly what it is the Father and Son have done for us:

The Son said goodbye to His home.
The Father said goodbye to His Son at the cross.
The Son said goodbye to paradise and entered a less comfortable life style on earth.

Th Father and Son both experienced sorrow and pain at these goodbyes.
The Father and Son both endured these goodbyes knowing that it would save many.

And that my friends, is what helps me during the goodbyes. Knowing that it's not in vain. That enduring these goodbyes will save many. It is a comfort indescribable to be comforted by the One who has experienced my sorrow but to a degree so much greater. 

Now, I understand that some goodbyes just don't make sense. But may I encourage you to trust the One who made you?  His ways are much higher then ours. Does your way seem hopeless? Don't give up! Do you need help? Talk to the Father. We must commit to place our faith in facts, not feelings. This often takes sacrifice on our part because we often let our feelings guide us. But so many times, though I have not felt like trusting Him, I chose to trust Him. And boy am I glad I did! I have never once regretted that way of thinking. God IS good, all the time. People are sinful and broken. Bad things happen, but God is still good. All this to say, if you are holding on to something, if worry has overwhelmed you . . . LET GO. Do you know what will happen if you do? Freedom. You will be free. That's my experience any way. I know that's what I've had to do repeatedly just today! Let go, let go, let go. Easy, no. Easier with practice, yes.

Friends, thanks for listening.  I am convinced that our Father is trustworthy and that His love is profoundly powerful and real. I want everyone I care about to experience that! To know that you're not alone, that you are loved, and that you will never ever be without. He promises to take care of all your needs. The cost: your life. High price? Hardly! He only asks for your life so that He can give it back to you better! What a good life it is to be in the hands of the Father. What a good good life. A life rich and full. Not necessarily easy, and definitely not pain free, but a life worth living.