Hard To Say Good-Bye!

I heard this week one of my closest childhood friends passed away. Her name was Mardelle and she was one of the bridesmaids in my wedding. This news was devastating to my heart. I loved this friend deeply and she is woven into the fabric of my childhood. If I painted a picture of my childhood she would dwell there by my side as my partner in finding adventure. She was my sounding board, my comforter, and one of my favorite teammates. I cherish my memories with her!! When we were together, life seemed endless and we seemed invincible. Now her life is over. I wish she could have stayed here with me a little longer. It is hard to say good-bye!!

One thing that has bothered me about her death is the lack of time I have had with her in the past twenty-five years. Our lives just drifted apart as we moved in different directions. We talked on the phone in the beginning. Then we emailed and recently we were reconnected through facebook. But, I counted on her being out there, living her life. I counted on hearing from her. When we communicated, it was like no time had gone by. Our souls connected like they had so many years ago.

Life is filled with different seasons. We move through them as if they will never end and then one day we are in a different season. The days gone by are over. We can't bring them back again. We can peruse them in our memories but time does not allow us to dwell there again.

In my life today, I am much more aware that opportunities for relationships are limited by time. I make sure I am making the most of my time with the people I love. When God brings a close friend into my life, I take full advantage of their available time knowing this time might not be available forever. I leave gaps in my schedule to be available for my family and close friends so I do not miss opportunities. Ephesians 5:15 says; "Be careful, then, how you live--not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity..."

I wish back when I was a teenager, I would have been more wise in how I used my time. This is one thing in my life I regret! But I am grateful for my friend. I am grateful for the time the Lord gave us together!! I truly enjoyed her! She was an expression of God's love to my life during that season so many years ago. I thank God for the way He created her and for His divine wisdom in bringing our lives together. He knows her heart and all of the intricate parts of her story. I trust her into His hands.

Still in knowing all of this, it is hard to say good-bye!

Ecclesiastes 3:1-4; "There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance,..."