Lately, saying goodbye when I leave home has gotten harder.
I tell my toddler where I’m going. I show him the suitcase, the photos, and the map. I explain how long I’ll be gone and remind him that I always come back. But none of that stops the tears.
As I grab my bag and walk toward the door, he follows — quiet at first, then clinging. He puts on his shoes like he’s ready to board the plane with me. He won’t let go of my leg. My wife, gracious and strong, tries to pull him gently back into the house, but he resists.
And here’s the part that undoes me: I don’t want to let go, either. I’m trying to leave, and he’s trying to come. My wife is pulling him back while I’m being pulled forward. Inside, my heart is being pulled apart.
So, who’s pulling who?
This little boy doesn’t want a gift. He doesn’t want a toy. He just wants to be with his dad — to go where I go and to see what I see. And I want that, too. I want to bring him with me, to show him the world and spend all the special moments of life with him.
That ache in my son to be near me? It’s not just emotional. It’s spiritual. It reminds me of the ache that should exist in all of us to be near our Heavenly Father.
Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. (James 4:8)
Mutual Longing
There’s a sacred, mutual longing woven into the relationship between us and God. The Father doesn’t stand at a distance. He wants to be close. He invites us in. He waits for our return. And when we crave Him, when we cling to Him, He doesn’t push us away. He draws closer.
In The Message, Jesus says it like this:
“Walk with me and work with me. Watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace.” (Matthew 11:28–30)
That’s not a corporate directive; it’s a dad talking to his child.
And that’s the kind of rhythm I want for my life. I long to walk where Jesus walks, to work alongside Him and to crave His presence in the same way my son craves mine. Doing this involves intentional time with Jesus, responding to that longing for His presence through prayer and His Word, also realizing it’s not a chore. That ache for Jesus is the answer; time with Him is what we need, what we desire deep down more than anything else.
No More Goodbyes
One day, I’ll take my son with me on these trips. I’ll show him what I do and invite him into ministry with me. I pray that when I do, he still wants to come — not just because he can, but because he wants to be near his dad.
Until then, I’m holding on to these tearful goodbyes as a reminder: This is how I want to chase after God—not casually or conveniently, but zealously and with a heart wide open, ready to follow my Dad anywhere.
May we all reexamine our hearts for the Lord, showing up for His presence and responding to that yearning within each of us for a real relationship with Him. He is indeed a Good Father — perfectly loving, true, mighty, comforting, and counseling — ready to bring us along for an unimaginable, fulfilling journey.
Eddie Morales is the director of marketing and communications at Communio, a nonprofit ministry that trains and equips churches to share the Gospel through the renewal of healthy relationships, marriages, and the family.
