Sharon Davis- 2015

“Now before the Feast of the Passover, Jesus, knowing that His hour had come that He would depart out of this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end.” John 13:1 

“Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth.” John 17:17-19

Goodbye, bye, farewell, later, adios. We have so many ways to say it and probably say “so long” at least 20 times a week without even thinking twice. Have you ever had to say goodbye to someone that you knew you weren’t going to see for a very long time-someone that you love so much that when you have to say goodbye to them it hurts? You might hug that person a little longer and hold them a little tighter. I have a handful of those special goodbyes logged in my memory. I remember every detail of the street outside my aunt and uncle’s house in Holland when we left to head back to the airport.

I remember the summer I spent in Michigan and having to say goodbye to my little nieces. I remember every detail of the last time I hugged my mom. Saying goodbye can be awful, sad and painful. Sometimes I think about the last time the disciples saw Jesus. He loved them like a parent loves their children and they too loved Him. They must have felt sad and afraid of going on without Jesus right there with them- not really understanding the full weight of what Jesus was doing for them and the world. What a perfect example Jesus gives us when He was parting this world. He prayed for his disciples; He prayed that they would be sanctified.

Basically He prayed that they would be set apart, holy and used for God’s pleasure. Instead of being sad when I say goodbye to a special friend, I am going to try hard to put my trust in the Lord. Instead of thinking “woe is me” when I send off a special family member, I am going to try to be more like Jesus. Like Jesus prayed, I am going to ask for the Holy Spirit to watch over my loved ones-to keep them holy and that they might be used to make God happy. When we change the perspective from how sad we are to how happy they might make God, the burden of saying goodbye is lifted.