Saying Good-bye

When the LORD was about to take Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind...Elijah said to Elisha, "Stay here; the LORD has sent me to Bethel."


But Elisha said, "As surely as the LORD lives and you live, I will not leave you." So they went down to Bethel.


The company of the prophets at Bethel came out to Elisha and asked, "Do you know that the LORD is going to take your your master from you today?"


"Yes, I know," Elisha replied, "but do not speak of it."


Then Elijah said to him, "Stay here, Elisha; the LORD has sent me to Jericho."


And he replied, "As surely as the LORD lives and you live, I will not leave you."


So they went to Jericho.


The company of the prophets at Jericho went up to Elisha and asked him, "Do you know that the LORD is going to take your master from you today?"


"Yes, I know," he replied, "but do not speak of it."


Then Elijah said to him, "Stay here; the LORD has sent me to the Jordan."


And he replied, "As surely as the Lord lives and you live I will not leave you."


So the two of them walked on....


As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind.


Elisha saw this and cried out, "My father! My father! The chariots and horsemen of Israel!"



And Elisha saw him no more. Then he took hold of his own clothes and tore them apart.  (2 Kings 2)


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Elisha did not want to say good-bye. But he had to.
God's heavenly chariot had to actually separate the two.


It seems sometimes to me that life is just a series of letting go....of saying good-bye...over and over again......of letting go of, releasing,  earthly things and relationships...forcing us to cling faster (with both hands?) to Him who is leading us.

Over and over.  Letting go.

And sometimes it is really hard to say good-bye.