Recently, I said my final goodbye to one of my dearest friends. Jan and I met as freshmen at our small Bible college in Portland, Oregon, USA. Though we studied hard, we also wholeheartedly enjoyed all the fun that college life had to offer. We loved being on the cheerleading squad together, as well as class parties, chapel services, and service opportunities.

Jan and I were the quintessential "country mouse" and "city mouse". She was a tall, beautiful, sophisticated girl from Portland. I grew up in a rural community in Washington State and knew little about city ways. We never forgot how — when we needed to cross a busy intersection a short distance from campus to reach the ice cream shop on the other side — I would squeeze my eyes shut and grab her arm to get me safely across.

Though our paths separated after college, we were bridesmaids at each other's weddings and stayed in touch throughout the years. Our life paths stretched to opposite sides of the globe, but we both eventually returned to the Pacific Northwest and loved occasionally meeting for lunch — usually with a group of our other classmates.

Then, one beautiful fall day in September, Jan was working in her backyard when she fell and hit her head on the hard ground. She never fully regained consciousness. As I visited her in the hospital and hospice, I held her hand as I reminisced about our lifelong friendship and our fun times together. I read Psalm 23 to her and played — on my cell phone — Day By Day, our favourite chapel song in our school days. My closing gestures were a kiss on the cheek and a prayer for peace and comfort in her final days.

These acts of comfort and kindness reminded me of my favourite scene in John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress. The time has come for Pilgrim to cross the river of death to reach the Celestial City where his loved ones are waiting. His friend, Hopeful, steps into the cold, turbulent stream with Pilgrim, but can only go partway with him. As Pilgrim begins to lose his footing and cries out in fear, Hopeful firmly grasps his arm and encourages him to keep going the short remaining distance. Just as Jan offered me support in crossing the busy intersection during our school days, now I was offering my encouraging arm of support as she crossed her own river.

Hebrews 13:14 – For this world is not our permanent home; we are looking forward to a home yet to come. (NLT)

Though I said goodbye to my dear friend, it is only for a while. C.S. Lewis said, "Christians NEVER say goodbye!" Knowing that heaven is the eternal home awaiting believers, how can we encourage others — and ourselves — when the time comes to cross the river of death?

Prayer: Dear Father in heaven, thank You for the hope of heaven and the assurance of what awaits us. Amen.