saying goodbye

It continues, the difficulty of staying in this country. As you may know we are in the middle of applying with the government to live here long term. Many families have made the decision of leaving and there are only a handful of us left that are in a waiting period with this. There is no anxiety in what we have already given to God. Faith and trusting have become a lifestyle for us. Still we deal with the emotions that come when having to say goodbye.
We have had to say good-bye to many friends... good friends. If you have never lived here it is hard to understand all the difficulties and opposition we come against. I have sat and cried with friends as we packed up their belongings mourning a ministry and life they had loved so much and worked so hard at. It is a difficult decision, and 1 that I could never judge. We know the warfare, pain, and sacrifice, that comes with this life but at times I think it takes more faith to leave.
Last week we again found ourselves having to say goodbye and deal with the loss of more friends. Over the years I have tried to counsel my children in words like, "we can enjoy the thought of having friends all over the world!" and "just think about how God brought those friends to us especially for this time in our lives...they will always be dear to us through those memories if not forever through the years!" These little reminders are not just for my children. I find myself gaining so much from each friend that God puts in my path to journey together for a time, surprising me in hidden treasures that I didn't know were there.
Recently, my daughter said to her friend Sarah as they said goodbye for the last time, "See you tomorrow!" This was her way of dealing with the pain, and although we will mourn our loss, I like the sentiment behind those words. So, to all my dear friends old, and new, thank you! I love you and am grateful for having shared part of life with you, you have taught me so much and I will see you in a tomorrow...