Our lives are seasons and for those living overseas there are seasons where goodbyes seem like an ocean of waves beating against the shore of our lives. Goodbyes often feel like wisdom teeth being pulled without pain killers. Some sort of old Western nightmare where they go in for a tooth and take a leg too. So with all the goodbyes what makes it easier?
1. The Spirit goes with the person and stays with those staying. At the end of seasons it can feel like the LORD is moving away from a place in out wrong thinking and this is not true. We need to rest in the promise that where God's people are, God is.
2. God is. He is in the goodbye. He is holding.
3. God promises to use the goodbye for good.
4. The people that are leaving are being sent by us (in grace) to something that will BLESS the body in another place and that is beautiful. Your kingdom come, even at the expense of a hard goodbye.
5. There will be no goodbyes in Heaven.
I am sure that there are tons of other things that you can add. Please do. As I think about goodbyes from hard places I can start to think about the light that will be taken as people go but if I switch and think about sending out as a part of what God is doing and a bit of the sting of the scab being torn off with the band-aid is alleviated. As I think about goodbyes and friends saying them while they hold each other close I cry out to God, "Give them a vision of You, Your kingdom and Your comfort. Hold them."
May Jesus lead you through the night of this goodbye. He is a pillar of light as He leads you, don't be afraid in the night. He is blazing a new trail, a trail that Immanuel has already walked.
1. The Spirit goes with the person and stays with those staying. At the end of seasons it can feel like the LORD is moving away from a place in out wrong thinking and this is not true. We need to rest in the promise that where God's people are, God is.
2. God is. He is in the goodbye. He is holding.
3. God promises to use the goodbye for good.
4. The people that are leaving are being sent by us (in grace) to something that will BLESS the body in another place and that is beautiful. Your kingdom come, even at the expense of a hard goodbye.
5. There will be no goodbyes in Heaven.
I am sure that there are tons of other things that you can add. Please do. As I think about goodbyes from hard places I can start to think about the light that will be taken as people go but if I switch and think about sending out as a part of what God is doing and a bit of the sting of the scab being torn off with the band-aid is alleviated. As I think about goodbyes and friends saying them while they hold each other close I cry out to God, "Give them a vision of You, Your kingdom and Your comfort. Hold them."
May Jesus lead you through the night of this goodbye. He is a pillar of light as He leads you, don't be afraid in the night. He is blazing a new trail, a trail that Immanuel has already walked.
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