I don’t like letting go. I would much rather hang on to things or people for as long as possible. But sometimes God requires us to let go. Like with our kids. We are facing one of those big letting-go moments at the end of this school year when our oldest son C.J. will graduate from Hillcrest School here in Papua, Indonesia. I still can’t believe he’s a senior!

C.J. and Linda.

Graduating here in Papua makes the letting-go all the harder. We won’t just drop our child off at college, or a gap year program, and turnaround to go home in the States. We’ll travel back halfway around the world to Papua. That leaves a great big ocean spanning the space between us and our kids. It feels so far. Thankfully, I have been able to watch several of my good friends navigate this transition already. I have learned from them through their tears and joys, and am so thankful we can support each other and our kids through prayer.

One of my friends, whose two oldest sons left Papua at the same time, shared a picture with me that God had given her. As she was praying for them, she saw herself in Papua, a great big ocean in between, and her boys in America. But spanning the ocean was Jesus, holding her hand in Papua and her boys’ hands in the States. What a beautiful reminder that in Christ we are still very connected.

Because we lost C.J.’s older sister to cancer, thinking about letting CJ go brings up extra feelings of grief. I am trying to face those feelings when they come, and let myself be sad when I need to. But, to also remember that I’m walking this road looking to Jesus and holding his hand. And Jesus is also holding C.J.’s hand. Jesus never lets us go.