I dread airports.
I seem to always be saying goodbye to loved ones, never sure when I’ll see them next.
I know, that’s what you get when you take it upon yourself to emigrate…
We’ve all seen them at the airport- the family clutching one another desperately, tears pouring down faces of the women, men standing to the side awkwardly, children not quite sure if they should be excited or devastated.
We hate goodbyes.
I remember the “big” farewell when we emigrated, leaving all our family and friends in the U.K. for a new life in Canada. We were torn… sad to be ripping ourselves from all we had known, yet eager to live the dream. Our cutey-pie 2-year-old daughter thought she was heading off on an amazing vacation, and was thoroughly confused by the lack of enthusiasm on the part of our families! Try explaining that one…
But the final round of goodbyes with my family at a London airport held the most curious concoction of emotions for me, and it was the first (not the last) time I considered the nagging question “When will I see you again?” or even more depressing, “WILL I see you again?”
I love the Bible.
I don’t dig into it nearly as much as I should, probably never will. But it’s such a source of comfort and strength, especially when we start to over think our lives and fret about the things which spiral out of our immediate control.
My dear old dad gave me a verse 17 years ago when we emigrated, and that same verse came back to me with powerful reassurance just yesterday when we said goodbye yet AGAIN at Vancouver airport.
Psalm 139:9-10
“If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the FAR SIDE OF THE SEA, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.”
It reminds us that the world really isn’t that big, not when we have the same God orchestrating everything. He knows when we rise and fall, when we are consumed by grief or jumping for joy, when we are in North America, England, or Montreal…
I know I’m probably sounding a little morose compared to my usual chipper self (possibly due to the fact I have done the goodbye thing with my daughter AND my parents in the past 2 weeks!!) but it’s actually my intention to share my JOY. Joy for the fact that I have a family who loves me (in spite of the miles!), joy for the day in which we live- complete with jet planes and Skype to ease the separation anxiety, but most of all, joy that one day I will be with all my family together with no time limitations.
We have the HOPE of eternal life, and our reunion will be magnificent with a venue in Paradise and our Heavenly Father for a host.
One day there will be no more goodbyes…
No more tears…
Oh glorious day!
