Saying goodbye

Jeff and Milisa married at a young age, both in their early 20s. And as I just stated they were married almost 39 years. So, as you can see their lives became one. They have one beautiful daughter, an awesome son-in-law and an adorable granddaughter. Milisa’s mother and two sisters live nearby, so not only does Jeff and his immediate family have to figure out the answer to this question, but so do her mother, sisters and their families.

How do you say goodbye?

When Milisa went to the hospital ICU for what turned out to be her final time, Jeff and I communicated daily. In fact, each morning we would begin our morning with a word from God – a word of the day, so to speak. Having God in their lives was so important to both Jeff and Milisa. Just last night Jeff said I am not sure how anyone could go through something like this without having God helping them do so.

How do you say goodbye?

I have shared in the past with you on many an article that one of my favorite psalm verses comes to us from Psalm 19:14. “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.” This is an amazing psalm, but with Jeff and Milisa it is how they lived their life. Both of them did all they could do to help other in their lives. I worked side by side with Jeff for many years, and even when he felt the urge to want to say something poor about another, he just couldn’t bring himself to do it. And in knowing Milisa, neither could she. What a testament to their hearts and their faith.

How do you say goodbye?

Speaking of faith, in the gospel of John chapter 14 are some of the best words for us to hear at a time like this. I’ll paraphrase it for you. Jesus tells his disciples and he is also telling us that in his father’s house there are many rooms. Many Bible translations use the word mansion for house, and Jesus said that he goes there to prepare our room. Then, he says the most amazing thing, he says, verse 3, “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that I where I am you may be also.” Jesus, came Sunday morning to take Milisa to her room because it was ready, and she is there with him, his words cannot lie and this is what he tells us. Further he reminds the disciples and us of another wonderful truth, verse 6, Jesus said to him (Thomas), “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

How do you say goodbye?

In likely the most popular Bible verse known to man, John 3:16, it says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him, should not perish but have eternal life.”

Friends, do you see the significance of that verse. Milisa is not here, yes, but she is alive. We have God declaring that no one shall perish who accepts his son, and we have Jesus telling us that when your room is ready he will come to take you to it to be with him.

Saying goodbye, is really more like, saying, hold on and I’ll see you again in the future for christians. Yes, our hearts break today, but they break not because of no further life, they break because there is a pause of our life together. In the eternal life Jeff and Milisa will walk hand in hand again with each other.

So, we say goodbye by trusting in God and believing in his word. On Easter morning all christians around the world celebrate what? We celebrate life, not death. Jesus overcame death, and friends for all of us who believe, so will we.

Jeff, told my wife and I a beautiful story about Milisa last night. He said that she asked him to build for her a chalkboard that would be positioned in the utility room so she could write him messages and share her thoughts with him. This began about three years ago, and I want to share with you the last message she ever put on the board for Jeff:

“Being happy is a state of mind, Being peaceful is a state of grace.”

God’s grace knows no bounds, and now Jeff has this message to stay with him for the rest of his life and keep close to his heart.

Jeff will forever in this life miss Milisa and rightly so, but joyously this life is but a blink of an eye compared to eternity, and there my friends, Jeff and Milisa will be together. So, let’s say goodbye by saying, I’ll see you soon.

Until next week, Joe.