On Good-byes

Jake, Cameron, and I are at a point in our lives that we have to say good-bye. Jake resigned from his position at PCC and we are beginning a new journey. The past few months have been filled with sadness. We will greatly miss people we have grown close to the past 2 1/2 years. They have been filled with faith. God sees that we want to serve him and he will honor that. Excitement. We will be closer to most of our family. Frustration. God sees that we need to trust him more and is making us lean on him more and more. I feel like we might fall over. I guess that is a good thing.

All of that to say. I don't like saying good-bye. There is nothing "good" about it. I have decided there are a few different kinds of good-byes.

1. It has been nice knowing you while you are here, but we probably won't keep in touch. This is done with people that you don't know very well. You exchange greetings when you see each other, but all you really talk about is the weather. You don't share your life with them.

2. It has been wonderful sharing life with you and we will do lunch. This is done with people that you hang out with outside of work. Maybe you get a cup of coffee with them. You will keep in touch. Send an occasional e-mail and do lunch every now and then.

3. It is too hard to say good-bye, so I won't. This is done with people who you love so much and it hurts too bad to say good-bye. Good-bye is not the end because you live life together. You will still know how life is going for them. You make dates to be together and you pick up right where you left off. You can't say good-bye because you can't swallow because you have a lump in your throat so big that you can't even talk. They have made you a better person and you hope that you have done the same.


Yesterday I said good-bye to the student I have been investing my life in the past year. It was a #3. I gave him a big hug, pulled him off of my legs, gave him to his mom and tried to say that I would see him later. I don't know that any sound even came out of my mouth.

As we make these life changes and lean more and more on God to see what his plan is for our little family I thank Him for all kinds of good-byes. They make life intimate. They make life fun. They make you appreciate. They make you grow.