Parting is Such Sweet Sorrow: Redemption

I don’t know what it is about Morgan Freeman that makes him utterly quotable… Maybe it’s the sound of his voice, or perhaps the fact that he’s always been old (think about it… have you ever seen him with a head of “non-gray” hair… my point exactly) either way it doesn’t matter:

Sometimes it makes me sad, though... [my friend] being gone. I have to remind myself that some birds aren't meant to be caged. Their feathers are just too bright. And when they fly away, the part of you that knows it was a sin to lock them up DOES rejoice. But still, the place you live in is that much more drab and empty that they're gone. I guess I just miss my friend.

- Shawshank Redemption

I was having a pretty bad day earlier this week until I received an email from a good friend and fellow servant of Christ in South Africa (ironically I was in the process of praying for his family when the email came through). For those of you who don’t know, I’ve had quite an itch for South Africa lately and have been chomping at the bit to go and spread the gospel over seas. The email told of a student’s letter that expressed that she was pretty bummed about the fact that all of her teachers (Me, Kevin & Teen.., etc.) would come and teach for a period of time and then return to the states. I guess her own words describe her feelings better than anything I could ever say: “Why do I always have to loose teacher, to me, who I love and teach me to do good…”

Over the past two years I’ve had the grace of meeting some really great people only for them to go off to distant corners of the globe. And that being said, I’ve been consistently hopscotching time zones myself. It definitely makes friendships… interesting. And don’t even get me started on South Africa…

I guess ultimately… the hardest part about trusting God is believing that whatever is going on right now is what you need to have going on right now… Assuming a person’s pursuing God, He’s promised to direct your path. It’s a matter of believing that His timing and ways are superior to yours and that He’s preparing you to glorify His name. Isn’t that the ultimate goal of all that we do? After all, weren’t we created for his glory? Yeah, waiting sucks… a lot. As friends drift into different time zones, loved one’s pass away, and employment overly complicates the already complex nature of life… I know it’s okay to miss distant friends and to look back fondly on the memories that have passed but our greatest hope always lies before us: spending eternity geeking at the feet of a Savior who loves us. But that being said… I guess sometimes I still just miss my friend(s).