Parting Words

On my wedding day, I remember waiting with my Dad outside of the chapel. As we watched the last of the bridesmaids go down the aisle ahead of us, I tried to take a deep breath but could go no deeper than shallow. I’m still uncertain if it was the dress or my emotions.   

As we stood there together, my Dad told me how much he loved me and how proud of me he was. Although the room was swimming a little from my mild hyperventilation, I remember him joking about how it wasn't too late to whisk me away if I was having any doubts. I looked toward the front, saw my husband-to-be smiling back, and knew I wouldn’t need an escape route.  

Parting words are important. A father’s love to his daughter on her wedding day. A mother’s instruction to her college-bound son. A wife and husband’s final words on the day one leaves this world to enter the next.  

At the conclusion of Christ’s ministry on earth, He took His disciples away to share parting words with them. Jesus knew that Judas would betray him that night and that He would be taken away from them. He knew that the days which followed would bring great sorrow, confusion, and uncertainty to His followers. So he reassured them of His love and commitment to them, and He encouraged them. “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me.”  (John 14:1)

Trusting God means having faith that He really will do what He has promised to do. It means we choose to believe that He is who He says He is… even when our circumstances don’t make sense or seem unfair.

May whatever challenges we face today pale in comparison to Who He is – our loving, faithful, all-powerful God. He is trustworthy!

“Don’t let your hearts be troubled… trust Me!”