The other evening, I gave my retirement speech. As I thought about how to end it, I realized there was really only one word left.

Aloha.

In Hawaii, where I grew up, it is a word familiar to all of us. Depending on the setting, it can mean hello, goodbye, and I love you. For that evening, it meant all three. Afterward, I found myself thinking about that word. Maybe some of the most meaningful moments in life contain all three meanings at once. A wedding is a hello. But it is also a goodbye. Two people begin a new life together while saying farewell to the lives they once knew. Parents understand this as well. Every milestone—a first day of school, a graduation, a wedding—brings joy. Yet somewhere inside, we know that something precious has passed.

Perhaps that is why goodbyes become harder as we grow older. Not because we love less. But because we have been given more to love. When I was younger, I thought life was mainly about accomplishment. There were goals to pursue, responsibilities to carry, and work to be done. Those things mattered, and they still do. But looking back, I find that the things I treasure most are not accomplishments. I remember people. Conversations. Meals shared. Unexpected encouragement. Acts of kindness. Laughter. Ordinary moments that seemed unremarkable at the time. And perhaps that should not surprise me.

Years ago, the apostle Paul wrote:

We were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us.
1 Thessalonians 2:8 (ESV)

Those words strike me differently now than they once did. Paul wasn’t talking about accomplishments. He was talking about affection. He was talking about relationships. He was talking about people who had become dear to him. Maybe that’s why saying goodbye hurts. Not because something went wrong. But because something beautiful happened.

The pain of parting is often the price we pay for having loved deeply. I think about Paul’s farewell to the Ephesian elders. They embraced him and wept, knowing they would not see him again. Scripture never criticizes their tears. Love and sorrow have always walked together. And for Christians, goodbye is never the end of the story. Because of Christ, every farewell carries the hope of another hello. Which brings me back to the word I spoke at the end of my remarks.

Hello. Goodbye. I love you.

For that evening, it meant all three.

Aloha.

Love and trust in the Lord; seek His will in your life.

#faith #trustinggod #christianity #jesuschrist #bible #seekinggodswill #truth #sanctification #godisincontrol #godhearsourprayers #salvation #providenceofGod #aloha #1Thessalonians2:8

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