Saying goodbye is never easy. My eldest brother was getting ready to start college when I was six. On a family trip to the border between Panama and Costa Rica, my dad tried to convince my brother to take off to college in Costa Rica right away. Mother and I were not on board with the idea; we were not ready for him to move to another country just like that. After a good five minutes of push-and-pull, my mother and I started bawling our eyes out. Long story short, he decided to stay in Panama for college, so we enjoyed him at home for a couple more years.
Can you think of a time when you had a hard time saying goodbye?
In Deuteronomy 32, we find Moses at the top of Mount Nebo, saying goodbye to his lifelong dream of entering the promised land. His life, we could say, is one filled with goodbyes. He said goodbye as a youngster to his mother, then, as an adult, said goodbye to the palace and to the idea of delivering his people through his military education and privileged position. Then, he said goodbye to his quiet life as a shepherd to answer God’s calling. Towards the end of His life, he said goodbye to the Promised Land without even having a chance to say hello. He spent his whole life letting go! His reward, however, in the end was great! L,uke 9:28-36
In your walk with God, you will also find yourself saying goodbye many times to things, places, situations, and even people. The reasons may not always make sense, but you will eventually see how the pieces fit together.
In my experience, it has sometimes taken years to understand a goodbye, but as I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized that God has been there through every opening and closing of a chapter.
We are getting ready to say goodbye to 2024, and I want to invite you to reflect on the times you’ve had to let go, not just throughout this year but throughout your life. Can you think of any goodbye you’re thankful for?
“Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.”
You may also like:
One thought on “Learning to say goodbye”