Good bye's and I Love You's

The words "I love you" should never have to be followed by the words, "good bye." They don't seem to belong together at all. Two hearts once tied can never be truly seperated. But sometimes, it's not a seperation at all. It's a "I'll see you on the other side." I wonder what Abraham must have been thinking as he took his precious son up the mountain and laid him on the harsh stone of the altar. What went through God's mind as by the force of his will he turned his face from his son on the cross? You know,in both of those situations, the good bye had nothing to do with Isaac or even Christ...the decision was Abraham's. It was God's. And so, also, was the searing pain of sacrifice...the decision that someone else was worth more than any other to them. God did not require Isaac's life; but He required Abraham's obedience. When it came to his own son, God was willing to give everything to restore a right relationship with us. Don't we owe him the same?