I have never liked saying “Goodbye,” it always elicits feelings of finality.

So I say other things like, “See you!” or “Hope to see you sometime.” Most of the time I like quick goodbyes.

However, when a loved one leaves there are no formalities. We embrace, sometimes through tears. It is not uncommon to cast out clichés, often with a bit of humor, to lighten the atmosphere. But in the end the word “Goodbye” is bound to be spoken.

It’s a comforting thought really, because it is a shortened form of “God be with you.” In fact the farewell in many languages express the same thing.

The Spanish, adios means ‘to God’ – meaning that our lives are in his keeping. And vaya con dios means ‘go with God.’

Benedictions at the close of our worship, are reminders that as we part from one another, God goes with each one of us.

What recent “Goodbye” was painful for YOU? Do YOU ever realize YOU are saying, “God is going with you” or “God be with you?”

WHEN YOU RUN ALONE, IT’S CALLED A RACE. WHEN GOD RUNS WITH YOU, IT’S CALLED GRACE!

Every day I now provide a Commentary and a Prayer Reflection of the Daily Treat on my Podcast. I invite you to please listen to the above Podcast. Here is the text of what you would be missing  today —

My Commentary: “Goodbye” — A Word of Grace

The word goodbye often feels heavy with emotion. For many of us, it’s not just a parting word—it’s a moment that marks separation, distance, or even loss. That’s why we instinctively seek lighter phrases like “See you soon,” or “Take care.” We try to soften the blow of parting with casual words or humor. Yet even in the sadness, there’s a hidden blessing: goodbye is not just a closing word—it is a sacred one.

Goodbye comes from “God be with you.” It’s not a farewell into emptiness—it’s a sending forth into God’s care. The same is true in other languages. Adiós in Spanish or adieu in French—both mean “to God.” Even when we can’t walk beside someone anymore, we entrust them to God, who walks with all of us.

When we say goodbye to a loved one—whether for a short time or in a final moment—there is always an ache. But that ache is cradled in a deeper truth: no one leaves our love, and no one leaves God’s presence.

Even the benedictions we hear in church—“The Lord bless you and keep you…”—are ways of saying goodbye with faith. They remind us that we are never truly apart, for we remain together in God.

So perhaps we need not dread goodbye. When spoken in love, and understood in its true meaning, it becomes a blessing: God be with you!

My Prayer Reflection:

God of all journeys,
You know the weight of goodbye,
The sorrow of parting,
The ache that lingers in our hearts.

You also know the joy of reunion,
And the peace of trusting that
No distance is too great for Your love to span.

When I must say goodbye—
To a friend, a season, a chapter of life—
Let me remember: it is not the end,
But a sacred sending.

Let every goodbye be a prayer:
“God be with you.”
Let me trust that in Your hands,
All those I love are kept safe.

Give me peace when I must let go.
Give me hope when I must walk alone.
And give me grace to know—
That You never say goodbye to me.

Amen.