Leave: Leaving and Left Behind

By +Jeanne Takenaka @JeanneTakenaka

My Five Minute Friday prompt this week is—Leave. This largely unedited “rough draft” form of writing stretches this perfectionist, in the best of ways. I write for five minutes on a given topic. If you’re interested in learning more about 5-Minute Fridays, check out our hostess, Kate Motaung’s site. Or, click on the link at the bottom of this post. As you read my simpler Friday posts, I hope you’ll join in the conversation!

LEAVE

Hubby and I stole our final few moments, sitting in the waiting area of the airport. The last few moments before he left for a month-long business trip.

Part of me wanted to savor every moment before he stepped into the security line and out of my sight. Part of me wanted to walk away, rather than endure the ache of watching him leave our boys and me for a month.

I’ve decided between being the one leaving and being the one left behind, the second one is the more painful of the two scenarios. Being the one leaving, you have a purpose, a reason for going. Being the one left behind? Loneliness fills the place where his vibrant presence normally dwells within me.

When he leaves for an international trip, I always fear something will happen. It’s a constant choosing to trust that God holds him in the palm of His hand. A constant choosing to believe that God will bring him back to our little family again.

No matter who does the leaving and who does the staying, there’s heartache involved. The absence of the person’s presence, life—the absence of vitality—is the hardest to walk with every day of his being gone.

But, the good thing with his leaving? We get to celebrate his home coming. We get to marvel at all the great ways God showed up to help each of us through the lonely times. How He met us in our sadness and uplifted us with His joy.

And on that day when one of us leaves Earth first? We will celebrate being reunited as a son and a daughter of the Father. Together.

The one who stays behind will walk a path of sorrow, certainly. Will also know the anticipation of seeing the other again. I hope it’s many years down the road. I am reminded that leaving is never permanent when we have Jesus in common.

What about you? Which do you find more difficult? Leaving or staying behind? How do you stay strong when a loved one is absent for a long period of time? 

Vist Kate Motaung’s Five Minute Friday—Leave post!