Goodbyes & Lessons

One week ago I stayed up till about 3:30 in the morning with my sister as she finished last minute packing...then Tuesday morning my parents took her to the airport three hours away to fly to Bolivia.

Having my sister leave was a lot harder than I had thought it would be. I've had to say goodbye to my sisters before, but I've never really had to consider the fact that we might not all be able to be together again on this earth. And yet, what a wonderful hope we have in Christ! Goodbye is not forever.

All day long on Tuesday, I was fighting back tears threatening to spill out of my eyes. I was so happy that she was going, I wouldn't want her to stay here, and yet I was already missing her so much. When Amy called from the Los Angelos airport later that night, Karie answered the phone since I was cleaning the kitchen. Saralyn, it's Amy! pick up the phone! I walked over to my Mom's desk where the phone was, but I couldn't pick up the phone right away, first I had to gain control over the sudden storm of tears that had errupted from what seemed like nowhere...so it took a minute before I could talk on the phone. That was the last time I talked to her since she left.

Later that night, I was in the shower and just talking to God about everything that was going on in my life. I'm so tired of telling the people I love goodbye. Why is it so hard to say goodbye God? Then a thought that had never occured to me before, hit me like a bolt of lightning. God said, Now you know what I felt when I let my Son leave home to come to your earth. Now you know more what that pain of separation was like for me.

Honestly, I've never thought of it this way before. I have often thought about what Jesus had to give up--heaven, being in a place where there is perfect love, face to face communion with His Father, being surrounded by angels all ready to do His bidding... but what about the relationship, the closeness of Father and Son, what was it like to let Him go?

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. ~John 3:16

I know that my sister and friends who are going all over the world are safe. Because their lives are in God's hands, they are going to do His will, and so no matter what happens, thier salvation is secure in Christ. What is a little sleep now until that day when we see Him face to face? No, it doesn't take away the pain, but God gives hope in the midst of it. I know that this hope is the only reason I can go on living in this sinful world. But I think must be easier for me than it was for God. What if something had gone wrong in the plan? God is perfect, and so are His plans, but Jesus had the same opportunity to choose God or not as we have in every temptation. And if He had failed, we'd be lost. Would this have also meant eternal separation for Father and Son? I don't know for sure, but if so, then He has taken such a greater risk than we'll ever have to take. To me, the thought that He would be willing to risk so much, is more than I can comprehend. It's totally not human, that's for sure. And such a God is safe to trust, wherever He calls, wherever He leads, calvary shows that God is selfless and 100% safe to trust. Seeing this love enables us to give no mater the cost too. What wondrous love is this!