if you didn’t get to say goodbye and it hurt

PS. this is not a religious teaching or push.

PSS. if you’re not religious this will not give you any peace in dealing with your loss

Luke 9… the chapter of the almost apostles. the people that jesus asked to follow him, but they had other priorities… imagine the Lord himself telling you go and follow Him and you’re like yeah yeah just after i do x,y and z.

at the end of Luke 9, jesus asked this one guy to come follow Him and the guy was like sure, just right after i bury my dad.

in my head, that should have been a valid reason. Jesus could have waited to excused it. before i talked to my FOC about it i didn’t see the issue in this thought process… i said Jesus could wait…. who do i think i am??

but that’s not what i want to write about or even what caught my attention about im just sharing what i know (per usual).

Jesus responded to the guy and essentially said no leave him. He didn’t give (or want to give) this guy the opportunity to say goodbye to his FATHER.

i didn’t get to say goodbye to my gido. he passed away on his trip to egypt. he was buried across the world from me. it was one of the hardest things about his loss.

but what gave me peace in Luke 9 is that i found a biblical connection. a biblical reason. Jesus didn’t let that guy say goodbye and he didn’t let me say goodbye either.

i’m still trying go figure out all the parts of the why, but here’s what i know as of now:

1st commandment: love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind. (luke 11:27)

         2nd commandment: love your neighbor as yourself (luke 11:27)

God comes first. always. without God there is no love. you cannot love God and not love your neighbor. you cannot love your neighbor if you do not love God because GOD IS LOVE (1 john 4:8).

it doesn’t answer all my questions but it’s a start. all i need is a start.