Moving is always difficult. I think the worst part of moving is leaving behind those you have come to love, or being left behind by those you love. Saying ‘goodbye’ is typically riddled with tears (even if they never make themselves seen).

I really don’t like saying ‘goodbye’ to people. I have, however, found that the goodbye hurts less when I’ve spent large chunks of time invested in the relationships. That seems rather counterintuitive, doesn’t it?

I’ve moved quite a bit in my life and have become extremely adept at pulling away from people, either consciously or subconsciously, before I move. Some years ago, though, I decided to throw myself into my relationships, despite knowing I was only going to be with those people for a short period of time. Amazingly, it was so much easier to bid them farewell once it came time for me to leave than a goodbye had ever been.

Here’s my theory: I had no regrets. I didn’t regret being available to them. I didn’t regret the laughs we shared. I didn’t regret the prayers we prayed for each other.

It is my tendency to assume that my relationships will remain steady after a move or after I say ‘goodbye’. Sometimes this is true and my friends and I can pick up right where we left off, but more often than not the relationships change because I change and those I love change. Do you know what I’ve found?

Even amidst changes, moves, and goodbyes, my spirit can remain steady if my foundation is solid. When my heart and mind are saturated with the Word of God, rather than with my anxieties and emotions, change is not as difficult. A move, though stressful, is less stressful. Saying ‘goodbye’, though extremely difficult, is less difficult.

In His famous Sermon on the Mount, Jesus tells the parable of the two builders. One man built his house on the sand and one man built his house on the rock. When the rains came, the house on the sand fell, but the one on the rock remained.

What is similar for both houses? Both were pelted with rain, but the one whose foundation was secure was able to weather the storm. That’s not to say there may or may not have been damage to the house that remained (storms typically bring with them some damage!); however, the house still stood.

So even though changes in relationships may hurt, goodbyes, both temporary and permanent, may be difficult, and moving may be stressful, if my spirit is set firm upon the Rock of my salvation they are easier to weather.

The parable mentioned can be found in the Bible in Matthew 7:24-27 and Luke 6:47-49.