My brother-in-law is deployed for a year overseas. He left behind his wife and a beautiful little baby girl who is quickly finding her independence (and lots of spunk to go with it). Paul will be home for a two-week visit at the end of this month. Elizabeth (his wife) has been eagerly anticipating his arrival, but at the same time dreading his departure. Again.
I want to tell them....
Don't panic. Panic kills the moment. Slow down and savor.
Don't overcommit. Don't schedule so many things that you are so busy running that you don't have to time to simply enjoy each other. Running breeds stress and suffocates any chance of intimate connection. Slow times for quiet family dinners, just the three of you. Slow time for a walk in the park, or an afternoon at the playground, just the three of you.
Don't anticipate the leaving. Don't be sad about the leaving before it even arrives. Enjoy each day to the fullest without the dread about what goodbye will bring. Savor each joyful moment together without allowing the goodbye to attach itself as an unwelcomed guest.
Say goodbye with a long, heartfelt hug. A good hug can travel miles and months.
And before you part ways, pray together. Hold hands, and pray. I know no other recipe for making the miles bearable than the promise that the God who goes with them and stays with us will be the bridge connecting us no matter how far the distance.
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