The older I get, the more I hate goodbyes. My wife and I just moved back to where we were raised after being gone for nearly 30 years. When we moved, we left our home, son, grandbabies, friends, and a Gulf Coast paradise we dearly loved. We are here now with our hometown family, and it is wonderful, but saying goodbye to what we had grown to love was difficult.
What keeps us going is knowing that we see our grandchildren and our son frequently and they’re only a phone call away.
Every goodbye we live through makes us stronger, but we must receive strength from something that’s much bigger than we are. When we lose a loved one through death, it’s unbearable if we try to handle that alone. My brother and I held my Dad’s hand as he took his last breath, and there’s not a day that goes by I don’t think about him. At the time of his passing, I wasn’t a follower of Jesus, so it made it difficult, as the burden of his passing was carried entirely on my shoulders.
Now, I rejoice in the fact that I will be with him, my entire family, and my friends later. I truly believe this. When you feel God enter your life, you will have a peace that I cannot explain, but you’ll know that everything’s going to be alright.
If you’ve never experienced this peace, find a quiet place with no distractions, don’t think, but simply listen to what God has to say. I promise, if you dig deep into the soul that God placed into you, you’ll hear His words.
It’s not enough to simply say it, you must honestly believe in God, and when you do, goodbyes will still stink, but you’ll find a peace in knowing you’ll be back together soon.
Rick Stanfield is a syndicated columnist, professor, motivational speaker and author. His latest book is “I Can and I Will.” For information, visit his website at www.rickstanfield.com. Rick and his wife Tina are available for book signings and speaking engagements at churches, community functions, and any gatherings where their story may be a good fit. For information, contact rickstanfield1@yahoo.com.
