Separate Ways

Whenever my wife and I take a walk, we hold hands. We've done that for years. We've held each others hand so much in our 40 years of marriage that it feels strange NOT to hold hands. Yet, each year at this time my wife and I take separate vacations. Why?

Well, it all started about 10 years ago when I began taking kids from a youth group to Lifest - a Christian music festival in Wisconsin. I'd be gone for four days, leaving my wife at home. She is not a fan of rock music like me so she would always choose not to come along.

About five years ago my wife got the idea to take a vacation at the same time. She rented a cottage in Door County - a beautiful Wisconsin vacation destination for many. She absolutely loves it, just like I love Lifest. She can shop at a more relaxed pace than when I'm there, hurrying her along. And I can use that same vacation time to minister to young adults and teens in one-on-one conversations at Lifest.

We each go our separate ways, but we always rejoice when we can walk together again, holding hands.

Our walk with Jesus can have a similar look to it from time to time. Sometimes WE go our separate ways but it is always US, the humans in the relationship, that take the side trips. God has promised to "never leave us or forsake us" (Deuteronomy 31:6). And that is amazing.

In our relationship with Jesus, we can do many hurtful things that would end most earthly relationships. We ignore Him, we use His name in vain, we can say we love Him yet deny He even exists when we are with our friends. We can do so much harm in our relationship with our Heavenly Father. Yet, His promise to never leave us remains.

There is a song by Journey called Separate Ways. The chorus speaks about a broken relationship and, although this is a secular song, it tells us much about God's love for us - "True love won't desert you. You know I still love you. Though we touched and went our separate ways."

Is our relationship with God as good as it can be? Our relationship with God is supposed to be more important than all of our earthly relationships. Is it? We should be eternally grateful that God doesn't turn our backs on our relationship with Him.

"5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths." - Proverbs 3:5-6

"15 But you, Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness." - Psalm 86:15

We all tend to go our separate ways with both our earthly relationships and in our relationship with God. The thing about being apart from someone we love is, it feels so good to get back together. If you have strayed in your relationship with God, reconcile. He's waiting for you. Right where you left Him.

"You'll never walk alone. Take care , my love. Miss you, love."  - Journey, Separate Ways.

Separate Ways - Journey