We were not created for goodbyes.

The deep reluctance we feel at even thinking about letting go of someone or something meaningful reminds us that we were not made to say goodbye: We were created for eternity. As Ecclesiastes 3:11 tells us, God "has put eternity into man's heart."

Our reluctance to say farewell stems from the original perfection of Eden. Before sin entered the world, Adam and Eve enjoyed unbroken communion with God and each other. But their disobedience brought separation and loss into human experience (Genesis 3:23-24). Suddenly, we faced a life marked by partings and pain.

Yet even in our fallen state, God's love prevailed. Instead of abandoning us, He provided a way back through Christ's sacrifice. As John 3:16 proclaims, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life."

For those who trust in Christ, a future without goodbyes awaits. Revelation 21:4 paints this beautiful picture: "He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away."

Our hearts yearn for permanence because we're made for Heaven. C.S. Lewis captured this sentiment well: "If I find in myself desires which nothing in this world can satisfy, the only logical explanation is that I was made for another world." The longing for eternal togetherness isn't a vain hope; it's a glimpse of our future in Christ!

Perhaps you're clinging to the familiar, fearing change. Or maybe you're desperate for transformation, crying out, "Is this all there is?" Take heart in the words of 2 Corinthians 4:17-18: "For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen."

For followers of Christ, Heaven is the fulfillment of our deepest longings. It's where our restless souls find peace (Hebrews 4:9-11). In Heaven, we'll have eternity to explore, marvel, and know our Creator and each other fully (1 Corinthians 13:12).

As we navigate the pain of goodbyes in this life, let's hold fast to the promise of Revelation 21:3: "Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God." In that glorious future, farewells will be no more.