Saying goodbye is hard

By Ty Salvant

Trusting in God is not for the faint of heart. When you hear God calling you to something new that requires you to give up something you know, whether or not it’s easy or good for you, it can be hard to let go. Memories, emotion and doubt creep in, which can cause you to stumble or question yourself or God.

For the past few years, I have felt a nudge to close my education resource center for various reasons. I would plan to, then back down and give it one more chance.

Pandemic? No Lord, I can push through. Loss of equipment and inventory due to children being destructive or irresponsible with toys, books or supplies – still got this. An undue burden on my family’s time and financial resources – we’ll reorganize, and things will be different.

I can be very persuasive, even with myself. My fortitude and tenacity are great in some settings, but not all. I had to ask myself, at what cost am I willing to forge ahead? What am I preventing from happening because I did not want to let go of the familiar?

Several times in my life I have had to give up the comfortable for the unknown. Every time, it was worth it. Not necessarily easy, but worth it.

If you pay attention, you will receive tools along the way. God puts people in our path to help us. If you are too preoccupied with the busyness of life, you can miss those nuggets.

Saying goodbye is a part of life. Instead of mourning what I’m missing or giving up, I choose to reflect on what I received and lost, the lessons learned and cherish the memories made from both. That way, I don’t get stuck nostalgically reminiscing on the great times. I can accurately remember what was and move on to the next adventure.