Now and Eternity

A few weeks ago, I was praying about goodbyes. I had to say goodbye to some very amazing people who won't be returning to my college next year. A few days before the goodbye, God provided me with great wisdom about the situation. He taught me that our goodbyes are just as important as our hellos. The life we are living on earth is being lived so that we can one day get to Heaven. Every step of our journey is designed to lead to union with God. I love the people I had to say goodbye to. They have made a tremendous impact on my life, and I consider it a great blessing to have been able to be part of theirs. I know that our relationship will change. Sometimes we will talk, sometimes we will see each other, sometimes we will write, sometimes we will know what is going on in each other's lives, and sometimes we won't. And that is okay because in reality, now is not when I want to see them. When I really want to be with them is when we are forever worshiping our God in Heaven. This new path that they are taking is necessary to perfect them for Heaven. The path that I am still on is necessary for my own perfection. I'm more than willing to sacrifice every role in their lives (and theirs in mine) if it means that we will be closer to our ultimate end, closer to eternity. The goodbye was a very emotional one. I'm convinced that God gave me this insight a couple days in advance because He knew I would not be able to hear Him speaking to me through the emotions of the actual day. However, because of His providence, I was able to focus on this wisdom and not fall apart completely. (Note the completely) There were many tears, and then there was hope.