Goodbyes
My dear friend’s daughter is super sentimental. She loves HUGE and grieves BIG too. She hates any goodbye. She came home in tears the last day before Christmas break. She just hated telling her friends goodbye even though it would be just two weeks before they were all back together. She was super sad the day the Christmas decorations came down; and you guessed it, she cried before going to bed on the last day of break. She was going to miss her family, the holidays, and all the fun. I love this spirited 8-year-old and all her passion and hope it never fades.
Now, hear me, it’s very hard on her parents to always experience her highs and lows, but they constantly remind her that for every end, there is an exciting beginning! For this sweet girl, it’s a big lesson that needs constant repetition.
Goodbyes aren’t fun for anyone. But necessary to open the door to what comes next. Even though He knew His disciples were full of belief, Jesus also knew they would grieve His goodbye. But He had a plan and they would soon realize the new beginning that was to come.
“But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.” (John 16:7)
Jesus was going to have to say goodbye for the goodness of the world. It would be hard for those closest to Him, but there was goodness coming! It would have been really hard to understand – even baffling to the twelve. The very idea of saying goodbye would have been overwhelming to my 8-year-old friend… and to the grown men that surrounded Jesus. But with the perfect plan of God, it was necessary.
Sweet friend, the Holy Spirit is more than a consolation prize. He was planned, necessary, and a beautiful gift. We had to say goodbye to say hello to something new.
Are you dealing with a hard goodbye? I encourage you to embrace the pain, because emotions are important. But also take time to pray for the knowledge of what goodness is coming! God will meet you in the grief and in the willingness to be open. Give Him a holler… He’s waiting and has the most beautiful plan.
By Carrie Peterson
Now, hear me, it’s very hard on her parents to always experience her highs and lows, but they constantly remind her that for every end, there is an exciting beginning! For this sweet girl, it’s a big lesson that needs constant repetition.
Goodbyes aren’t fun for anyone. But necessary to open the door to what comes next. Even though He knew His disciples were full of belief, Jesus also knew they would grieve His goodbye. But He had a plan and they would soon realize the new beginning that was to come.
“But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.” (John 16:7)
Jesus was going to have to say goodbye for the goodness of the world. It would be hard for those closest to Him, but there was goodness coming! It would have been really hard to understand – even baffling to the twelve. The very idea of saying goodbye would have been overwhelming to my 8-year-old friend… and to the grown men that surrounded Jesus. But with the perfect plan of God, it was necessary.
Sweet friend, the Holy Spirit is more than a consolation prize. He was planned, necessary, and a beautiful gift. We had to say goodbye to say hello to something new.
Are you dealing with a hard goodbye? I encourage you to embrace the pain, because emotions are important. But also take time to pray for the knowledge of what goodness is coming! God will meet you in the grief and in the willingness to be open. Give Him a holler… He’s waiting and has the most beautiful plan.
By Carrie Peterson
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