The "G" Word

I was riding home in the car the other day with my kids and we were talking about what was going to happen today at church. The church I serve is saying goodbye to 3 of our pastors as they go on to serve in new ministries that God has called them to. My kids probably have heard some of the conversations around about the pastors leaving, but it dawned on them that they were actually going to be leaving soon. My sweet Mikayla had a difficult time when we moved last year (her best friend was moving away, we were moving and Hannah Montana was ending her TV series; the last one put her over the edge J). So as I was talking about their 3 pastors leaving, Mikayla piped up, “All of them are going! I’m going to have to get better at saying goodbye!” Yes, it is a lesson of this life: there will be many goodbyes we have to say. Some of them come through moves, some through graduations, some through death, etc. Most goodbyes are bittersweet, as there is the pain of something that will never again be the same, mingled with the hope of a new life that is waiting. I opened up my email today that had one of my devotions in it and the verse today was Psalm 33:20-21 “We wait in hope for the LORD; he is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name.” So like Mikayla, I’m still learning how to be better at saying goodbye. I know that in those goodbyes God is with me helping me and shielding my heart from the pain. At the same time I trust God in the goodbyes, knowing that they are not the end of the story. God is working for good in the new life that is offered to each and every one of us. We just have to accept it and walk into it. So tonight my heart is a little heavy with the goodbyes, yet I know some joyful helloes are coming. I know that God is closing a chapter in my church’s life and I look forward to walking into the blessings that await in the next chapter. I look forward to some company on that walk….