“How we suffer on earth is nothing compared to the glory He will give us later." ~ Romans 8:18
From experience, Jesse knew the hardest part of foster
parenting was letting go. Tomorrow would bring double the pain.
Two small children had
been living with them for almost seven months - protected, empowered, and showered
with love. She and her husband had worked so hard teaching them how to trust and soon they will leave forever
for an adopting family.
Sobbing, Jesse called her mother. “Sometimes I wonder if is
really worth following Jesus’ example and investing until the so much. Tonight,
I just want to withdraw and protect my heart. I can’t do this; I can’t say
goodbye to them.”
Her mother listened patiently;
the kind of humbleness that waited for a chance to reach in and give the perfect
nurture. Her quiet heart always
found a way to be helpful without interfering.
“Our lives are full of
transitions and seasons of change,” she began. “I rarely say ‘Goodbye’, even with
someone I may not see for months, or ever. Goodbyes mark endings, not
beginnings. They come with sadness not joy.”
“Did you know that the
first known use of the word “goodbye” was recorded centuries ago as a common
letter closing as “Godbwye” a contraction for “God be with ye.” Through the years ‘good’
was substituted for ‘God’ due to the influences of good day or good evening.
“In 1880, Pastor
Jeremiah Rankin set out to write a closing hymn for his worship service. Hoping
to spark his imagination, he began looking at words such as
"farewell" and "goodbye.” The definition that he found for
"goodbye" included the words "God be with you." Thus, the
hymn “God Be With You Till We Meet Again” was born:”
“God be with you till
we meet again; loving counsels guide, uphold you, may the shepherd’s care
enfold you; God be with you till we meet again.”
“Honey, no goodbye is
final for us. When kids leave home, friends get married, people move, or even when
loved ones die, as Christians, that separation isn’t the end of our road. We
know we’ll all be together in heaven, restored to the perfect togetherness God
always intended for us.”
“I try to hold onto
the hope that God gave us. It’s natural to feel the sting of separating and the
grief that goodbyes bring. But don’t be too sad. Our heartaches pale in
comparison to what awaits us in God’s Kingdom.”
After Jesse thanked
her Mom for her kindness and sage advice, she went to her heavenly Father in
Prayer:
