Bidding Farewell

To bid adieu or good-bye to people whom we are familiar with can be a sad and painful thing.  All the more so if the separation is permanent, due to death.  Thankfully in life, such permanent separation encounters are not many, especially relating to people who are considered very close to us.  However, we can have many not so permanent separation encounters such as those that occur when we move on to a new location, be it due to work, study or habitation.  With each relocation, we leave behind familiar surroundings and the people we have been regularly interacting with.  We may or may not return back to our previous location.  Needless to say, family and close friendship ties will continue regardless of the distance of separation.  Effort is needed nonetheless to keep in touch.  What usually fizzles out are acquaintances and those we relate only at the work level.

Over the past two weeks, I have been saying farewell and thank you to colleagues and friends in the work place due to my impending move to a new working environment this week.  There were farewell treats and gift-giving to signify the close of a long chapter in my current place of employment.  The friendships forged through work have been wonderful and I reckon that I would still keep in touch with some of them.  Some are dear brothers and sisters in Christ who have the same passion of serving the needs of the community by being lights and salt for Him.  It's heartening to note that they intend to glorify God through their acts of service in the school where they belong.  And I hope to do likewise in the new school where I would be heading.

Two passages of Scriptures come to mind: one is the apostle Paul bidding farewell to the Ephesian elders (Ac 20:17-38) and the other is the prophet Elijah being taken away by God (2 Kg 2:1-14).  Let's first talk about Paul's farewell; it's a farewell not unlike those receiving a death sentence.  God had revealed to Paul that he would encounter bonds and afflictions on his way to Jerusalem (v 22-23).  By saying that they would no longer see his face, Paul indicated he was prepared to die for the cause of the gospel of the kingdom of God (v 24-25).  He lived with a clear conscience and had fulfilled his purpose amongst them (v 26-27).  He warned them regarding enemy attacks and commended them to God and His Word (v 29-32).  Finally he prayed with them (v 36).  That's what I did this morning - to pray for school and people I would be leaving - that God would continue to bless and prosper the work there.  Someone has said that to finish well one must finish each chapter of our life well, as exemplified by Paul.

Let's turn now to the Elijah's farewell, which was a permanent one.  For all intents and purposes, the prophets in the various prophetic schools set up in Gilgal, Bethel and Jericho knew that Elijah would be taken away (v 3, 5; 2 Kg 4:38). However, they did not know that the Lord was taking Elijah permanently away from them (v 16).  Elisha, whom God has anointed to take over Elijah (1 Kg 19:16), followed his master very closely and asked for the blessing of the first born to inherit Elijah's mantle of leadership (v 9).  Not only did he receive the mantle, Elisha, we are told, performed twice as many miracles as Elijah.  Like Elisha, we need to ask God for a double portion of His Spirit to accomplish whatever new work we are to undertake.  Indeed, the road ahead may be difficult, but if God goes with us, we need not fear.  I also breathed a prayer this morning, asking God to go with me into the new environment where I would be working.  Elisha showed us the tenacity needed to follow our mentor closely in order to learn from them.

As we close each chapter of our lives, may we close it well.  In so doing, we can eventually conclude our final chapter with these words of apostle Paul: "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing."  (2 Tim 4:7-8).  May we run the race of life with patience and faith till the end (Heb 6:12).