The death of Jehoram was anything but sad. In fact, the Bible says that "he departed with no one's regret" (2 Chronicles 21:20). I guess the idea of departure is on my mind right now because I'm preparing to depart Brazil and head back to the United States… permanently. It's Wednesday morning (this blog entry is time-delayed), and I'm thinking about my own departure from here. It's so important for us that we live our lives in a way that we will be missed. That's not to say that people should be codependent on us, but if we open ourselves up to relationships with others, then saying goodbye is naturally a difficult thing to do.
I hope that, whenever you leave, there is a feeling of regret. A feeling of, "I wish he had stayed longer." In some ways I'm not ready for our departure from here. I'm grateful for the friends I've made. But as Michael W. Smith said in his song Pray for Me, "time is now the enemy." And for those friendships founded in Christ, we only have to wait a little while because one day we'll all be together again.
Thank you, my Brazilian friends, for an amazing time in your country. You will always stay close to my heart, and I will pray for you often. Minha casa é sua casa.
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