No More Goodbyes by Rose McCormick Brandon

Goodbyes don’t come easily for me. When moving meant saying goodbye to co-workers, I feared being swept away by sentimentality, weeping uncontrollably like I did at my graduation. In photos of that event my eyes match my bouquet of red roses.

I come from a long line of crybabies and I blame them, especially the Irish, for the maudlin gene. I need a dose of my Scottish friend's favourite rendition of goodbye - "Shove off!" Nobody at the office told me to shove off. They dripped kindness all over me. The memory of their hugs clings to my shoulders, a reminder of how blessed I am to have people in my life who make saying goodbye so hard.

Snoopy summed up my feelings about the word goodbye:

“Why can’t we get all the people together in the world that we really like and then just stay together? I guess that wouldn’t work. Someone would leave. Someone always leaves. Then we would have to say goodbye. I hate goodbyes. I know what I need. I need more hellos.”

Goodbye is a useful word, a short form of "God be with you." We use goodbye when we fly out the door to run an errand or to end a telephone conversation. We wave it, blow kisses with it, and even slam doors with it.

Goodbye always brings up questions: Where are you going? Can I come with you? How long will you be gone? When will you come back?

These are the same questions asked by Jesus' followers when He was making his goodbyes. (John 14:1-14) Jesus answered: I'm going to the Father. Yes you can come but not yet. Don't worry, I won't leave you alone. The Holy Spirit will be your constant companion. I'll get a room ready for you so you can come and live with Me. I'll be gone for what I consider a short time. When we meet again it will be forever.

Goodbye is an earthly word not an eternal one. We won't use it in our forever home with Jesus. No more goodbyes. Only hellos.

"I'm on my way to get a room ready for you. and if I'm on my way to get your room ready, I'll come back and get you so you can live where I live." John 14:3,4

 Rose McCormick Brandon is the author of four books, including One Good Word Makes all the Difference and Promises of Home - Stories of Canada's British Home Children. She writes personal essays and devotionals for several publications.

Living to Live or Living to Die?

No big surprise. Death is inescapable.

Although not a pleasant thought for most of us - life, as we know it, will one day cease.

We just don't know the day or the time, which is probably a good thing. It is the one event in this world that, without a doubt, will happen. No matter how we try to prolong it, once our time is up, our time is up.

Many of us don't want to think about dying because it puts a whole different perspective on living.

The way I see it, that can be a good thing, though. Well it's a good thing as long as we choose living to live over living to die. There's a difference between living life to the fullest or not bothering because we are going to die anyway.

When I was going through a health trial and I didn't know what the road ahead looked like in the survival department, I was introduced to that popular country song by Tim McGraw - Live Like You are Dying. Great idea as long as living like you were dying includes more joy than dread; more peace than fear; more love than friction.

 

Dread, fear and friction arise from an unsettled heart and a feeling of unworthiness. But the good news is that dread fear and friction can be replaced with joy, peace and love. And I have found, firsthand that when that joy, peace and love stroll hand in hand with faith, death becomes a beautiful thing and something I do not have to fear.

There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, 1 John 4:18 a,b

I think it's when faith hits home that you learn to love deeper, speak sweeter, and give forgiveness that you've been denying. After all we will have eternity to contemplate how we lived our life. . .

I am in no rush to leave this world, but if my time is up, no matter how much kicking and screaming I do, it won't matter. I have two choices when it comes to life and death. I can choose to see death as something horrific, formidable and something to fear. Or I can choose to see death as the cessation of life here as we know it - but wait - there's more.

As a believer I have the hope in my Saviour, Jesus, that eternity awaits. Yay! That is my prayer for my entire family and all my friends - in fact, as naive and cliched as it may sound - it's my prayer for the world. 

He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” Revelation 21:4

And for some final, parting wisdom, Snoopy shared some profound incite with Charlie Brown.

Charlie Brown: “Some day, we will all die Snoopy!’

Snoopy: “True but on all the other days, we will not.”

How's that for a little motivation to go sky diving or Rocky Mountain climbing or 2.7 seconds on a bull named Fu Man Chu?

I'm in. You? 

Glynis lives, loves, laughs and does an awful lot of reading, writing, publishing and praying in her home office. Her latest children's book - Hopeful Homer offers hope and encouragement to anyone who might find herself in 'the pit'. 

www.glynisbelec.com 

writer@glynisbelec.com