Hey Bye

My earthly father died last August on the thirteen. He was buried on the seventeenth, right on the celebration of Indonesian independence day. Afterwards Oma Edith Yvonne, an Evangelist, came to stay with us and consoled us for our loss. She also taught us many lessons. I can't help but to write the lessons I had learned.

The first one is about Hello and Goodbye.

We were so grateful and blessed to have her around after Daddy passed away. In the morning she would sit in the living room and held her Bible. She was so ready for the Word of God. We would voluntarily came around and pray together--it was very hard in the beginning for she started it pretty early, especially for Daniel.

Anyhow, we began to get used to the morning devotion together and would regret it if we missed it. Additionally she's got plenty of fun stories and crazy comments that would make us laugh out loud and forget for a moment that we are in still in the mourning period.

Well, Daddy is fine and happy now. We know we should not be sad but we are. So, we are so thankful that God had sent us a counselor who brightened our nights.

The fun thing about her is that she always intentionally switch hellos with goodbyes. Whenever she comes into the house she would say goodbye and vice versa. It sounded strange in the beginning but it made us realize that she wouldn't stay long. Oma isn't ours. She is God's. Just like everything and everyone else in this world.

Our wealth isn't ours. It's God's and He entrusts it to us. So whenever money comes can we actually say goodbye to it if in any case God takes it all away?

Our friends are not ours.
Our parents are not ours.
Our partner is not ours. Mom had to let go of my Dad just over a month ago. When Dad was dying, Oma kept telling her that Daddy was not hers. He is dearest to God. This way it was easier for Mom to let him go.

Now and then I would say hello whenever she was going out of the house and she would smile and I would greet her goodbye when she comes into the house. Doing so I hope it will be easier for me to let Oma go if she would continue her journey to God knows where.

Well now that we know that there is always a goodbye in a hello. What do we do in between those two words?

Also, I'm gonna switch my Hello to Goodbye starting from now. Get ready to kiss me hello, guys! 'til our next goodbye, be well and eat healthy!