Goodbye

When our kids were young, Dave and I made the decision to move from our home in Warren County to Erie. A thoughtful aunt, wanting to help prepare the boys for the life-change, gave them a Golden Book titled Little Duck’s Moving Day.

Little Duck was both excited and scared at the prospect of relocating to a new home. As moving day neared, he helped his mom prepare for the movers who would soon come and load their possessions on a big truck. Alone in his bedroom, Little Duck resolutely gathered toys and stuffed animals, and removed the pictures from his walls. He said a solemn “Goodbye” to each one as he sorrowfully placed them in the big packing box.

His mother overheard him. She came into the bedroom and said to him, “Little Duck, you are going to see your books and toys and stuffed animals and pictures again. We will be unpacking these boxes in your new home, and you will have them there.

“And so,” she suggested gently, “instead of saying ‘goodbye,’ why don’t you say, ‘See you later’?”

And that is what a comforted Little Duck did.

And that is what we do, too. Although we are saying “Goodbye, God-Be-With-You” all around, what we really mean is, “See you later, Pastor Rick and Kathy.” See you down at the City Mission as we’re ladling soup into bowls… see you at a special FAC music concert (you’re welcome, you know), see you in the aisles of TJ Max :)… Or if not in some hallway or street or restaurant, then see you in heaven.

For life is a litany of hellos and goodbyes. And while the family of God uses those words in the common manner, we have a most uncommon knowledge. For us, it’s never truly goodbye – not in any final sense. It will always be followed by a hello, somewhere, sometime. And in the end, “Hello” will have the final word.

See you later.