Good Morning,
The Lord will guide you continually, giving you water when you are dry and restoring your strength. Isaiah 58:11
Hello from North Carolina! The past several weeks have been eventful with packing, moving, unpacking, new house projects, and getting semi-settled. And it has been filled with many goodbyes. I was reminded by several friends of the C.S. Lewis quote, “Christians never say good-bye.” With the hope of eternity we all share as Christians, it is true that we never say goodbye on the spiritual level. But in our humanness, goodbyes are a part of life here on earth, and they are hard. They are hard because we were never meant to say goodbye. We were created to be in relationships with people. In the beginning, God created Adam and placed him in the Garden, filled with everything Adam needed except that he was alone. The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him” (Gen 2:18). From that moment forward, goodbyes have been painful.
As painful as it is, it is important to say goodbye. The military has a tradition called a “Hail and Farewell” for a unit’s incoming and outgoing folks. It’s more about the folks leaving because it is an opportunity to celebrate and recognize their contributions to the unit. The same should happen on a personal level as well. When life calls us to part from friends and family, it is important to tell them how much you will miss them, how much they contributed to your life and to be thankful for the time the Lord gave you together in close proximity. The people God puts in our path to do life with are never accidents. They are one of the many blessings from God.
Some of the best times in life happen in our relationships with people. “It is truly wonderful when the people of God live together in peace. It is as beautiful as olive oil poured on Aaron’s head and running down his beard and the collar of his robe” (Psalm 133:1-2). In Biblical times, bathing in oil must have been beautiful, but in my life, beautiful looks like having lunch with a friend, laughing and hanging out with family, or a phone call or text message for no significant reason other than being connected.
Jesus didn’t get a Hail and Farewell party, nice cards, and warm hugs. His disciples ran away from Him, a close friend betrayed Him, and another denied that he knew Jesus. He was tortured, humiliated, and eventually murdered. And for what? He did it so we would never have to truly say goodbye. No matter where life takes us, Christians do not have to say goodbye because we know we will all be together in heaven someday. But for now, on this earth, hug your friends and family, cherish your time with them, and be thankful for the blessings they are. And that’s your Tuesday Tidbit.
The picture was taken on my last night in Virginia. I noticed this little piece of paper on my friend’s refrigerator before leaving for NC the next day. It helped slow the tear flow and reminded me of the many friendship blessings God has given me. I love it when God reaches down to comfort us with an unexpected source, just as Isaiah promised in 58:11.