The Lord went in front of them in a pillar of cloud by day, to lead them along the way, and in a pillar of fire by night, to give them light, so that they might travel by day and by night.

Exodus 13:21

It’s hard to say goodbye. 

Some goodbyes come for a time, and then we close the loop in another greeting. Some are forever. 

Some goodbyes are so hard, so annoying, that you can forget that God walks with you through every single goodbye you’ve ever endured. 

They say change is hard. They also say, “change isn’t hard, it’s the transitions.” And then I say, the problem isn’t the change so much as the change in you, that can be really tough. An old job becomes a former job. A love evaporates. A loved one dies. A favorite franchise comes to an end. Of course, we grieve every single change. Even the ones with, on balance, good outcomes. And you don’t get to avoid the hurt just because you think the change was necessary. 

But God is with you.

I think that must be the theme of our year. God is with you at Pilgrim…and with you outside it. God is with you in your celebrations…and with you in your heartbreaks. God is with you on the mountaintop…and with you in the lowest ravine. It’s only when we give up on our most important traveling companion that we’re really in danger. 

You know the origin story of “goodbye,” don’t you? 

“God-be-with-ye.” Go with God. Vaya con Dios. 

Prayer: God, when I say goodbye, let it be with my whole heart. Let the light shine through my seams to light the way for others. Help me to express my gratitude for this journey. And thank you for always walking with me through it all. Amen.