The Greatest Goodbye

Many times in life, I best cope with things by writing songs about what I'm going through. This last weekend, I put my girlfriend on a plane to go to her home back in Texas. She's lived there for about a year-and-a-half now, but that doesn't make our goodbyes any easier. We usually see each other two or three times each year - a total of about 20 days. It gets hard at times. Furthermore, she doesn't really enjoy it down there. She has friends and family, whom she loves; but the rich culture of where she lives and the typical complacency of the Christians there makes it a hard place for her to be. As if saying goodbye wasn't hard enough, I have to send her to place where God is growing her by fire. But as I was walking away this time, God began to put a song in my heart. I've found that as hard as pain can be, it always helps me to better understand God's heart and to bring me closer to Him. In this case, I wrote a song about what it must have been like for God to say "goodbye" to Jesus when Christ came to earth. Theologically, the song is probably not very correct. But it's one of those things that's interesting to think about and consider - what was it like for God to say goodbye?

How did manage, Lord, to watch Your Son go?

Into a world that You knew was not His home?

Did you turn Your back when He died because of pain?

And when you cried – was that the thunder and the rain?

How did it feel to watch him walk down from his throne,

Knowing that he’d face death and Hell alone?

What was it like when you kissed the Son goodbye?

Did you fight to let go when you hugged him, did you cry?

Could you hold back your tears when you looked him in the eyes,

And said, “Go, my Son, redeem them all and die?”

For surely, there was never such a sorrowful farewell

Met with joyous singing – as your son went to fight Hell

Even though You knew that it would turn out right

Heavenly Father, what was it like to say goodbye?

And when you sent him to his death

Tell me, did you hold regrets?

Did you tell yourself you shouldn’t have let him go?

And when the Father and the Son

Oh the Godhead, three in one

Was separated – did you shake the world in sorrow?

What was it like when you kissed the Son goodbye?

Did you fight to let go when you hugged him, did you cry?

Could you hold back your tears when you looked him in the eyes,

And said, “Go, my Son, redeem them all and die?”

For surely, there was never such a sorrowful farewell

Met with joyous singing – as your son went to fight Hell

Even though You knew that it would turn out right

Heavenly Father, what was it like to say goodbye?

But through fire and through pain

The world would never be the same

The separation that You faced made the redeemed

And tell me, how did You feel

When Christ ascended out of Hell

And with a shout, You crowned Him as the King?

And what was it like, to be united with Him in victory?

Did You hug Him tight and cry with joy in Glory?

Could you hold back your tears, when you looked him in the eyes,

And said, “Well done, my son, you’ve spread eternal life?”

For truly, there has never been such a joyous hello

Than the day Your Son ascended to his throne

And all the time, God, you knew it would turn out right

And Lord You knew, it was worth it to say goodbye

As I consider the goodbye that Christ faced and had in front of him - I look towards the joyous ending of the story. Whether or not I have a joyous "reuniting" on this earth - I know that God will use it for the best, for His glory, to bring about His kingdom. I don't always get how, but I know He's in control. So Lord, here's my sorrow and my grief, turn them into mourning and dancing - only in Your timing. May Your will be done.