“This isn’t farewell. It’s a letter to say well done.”
That’s how I started a letter to Randy, a confidant of more than 30 years, earlier this week. We met for coffee at Village Inn, knowing it would be the last time we saw each other for a while. He and his wife are moving to Tennessee from Nebraska to be closer to her family. They’d always planned to return after he retired, and that time has come. I admire that he’s making her the priority now.
Still, parting was hard. Tears were shed. Promises were made to stay in touch, and we will. But the void was already noticeable. My wife picked up on it the night before, and we talked it through. And then there’s Latte, my aging cat. She’s lost some weight, and part of that is intentional, but the vet mentioned some possible severe health issues. The thought of losing her or not being able to text Randy for a last-minute lunch, feels heavy. Different losses, yes, but both real.
As Randy and I left the restaurant, rain fell softly. We hugged, said we loved one another, snapped a few photos and repeated our promise to keep in touch. Then I noticed a “God’s Got This” window sticker, written in a beautiful, flowing script, on the car next to Randy’s.
“God’s got this,” I said, pointing to it.
And he does.
The past few years have brought loss – friends, mentors and companions. Each absence has left a mark.
But God’s got this.
He’s given me a wife who is truly my person. When I hurt, she hurts, and the reverse is just as true. She’s seen every side of me – the stoic public face and the goofy private one – and she not only accepts it but appreciates it all.
She isn’t a replacement for what’s been lost, but she’s an undeniable blessing from the Lord, walking with me through grief. Proverbs 18:22 says, “He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the Lord.”
It almost feels like she found me, which makes it all the more astounding. But not really … because God’s always had this.
