I have a lot of friends. Or, at least, that’s what my social media accounts tell me. I would
not recognize most of them by voice or by face, since I haven’t seen them, or spoken to
them, in a long time. Many of them have passed by my neck of the woods over the years,
without giving a thought to reaching out and seeing if I’m around to get together. I admit
to the same; sometimes I feel “too busy”, sometimes I didn’t know that a friend lived near
where I was traveling, and sometimes it just didn’t occur to me. So much for being friends!
And this goes for family as well. My only interaction with some of my friends and my family
is by email or text. Again: no face, no voice, no conversation. Just words on a screen.
Two are better than one: They get a good wage for their toil. If the one falls, the other
will help the fallen one. – Ecclesiastes 4:9-10a

How wonderful it would be to greet these people face-to-face, or even voice-to-voice!
Whether they’re long-lost family members or old friends, there’s so much more of a
connection when conversation happens in real-time. Compare your reaction when you
receive a message from one of them, vs. when they call you and speak to you directly;
reading an email vs. meeting them over coffee. I want to see them in person. I want to
hear everything they have to say. I want to ask questions, get answers, and share what’s
on my mind.

That’s how God feels about us! Sometimes our conversations with Him can be superficial.
We’re not really in the moment, just sending up a few scripted words every now and then,
and not really waiting around for a response. What if we took the time to do it right,
putting away our distractions and having a genuine conversation? Wouldn’t that be a
wonderful change? Wouldn’t it be great to be friends with Him, and not just “friends”?
Remain in me, as I remain in you. Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own unless it
remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me. – John 15:4

So we branches must remain connected to the vine. Our friends and our family are also
branches on that vine, and we must remain connected with them as well. So I ask you:
think of a family member or friend you haven’t spoken with in a long time, and reach out.
And do the same with the Lord. He’d love to spend some quality time with you! We pray:
Lord, You traveled to visit your friends Mary and Martha in person. Help us remember that
the loved ones in our lives deserve our presence, and we theirs. Help us remember that
You also deserve our undivided attention. Break down the walls that we build, which
isolate us from each other, and from You. Unite us again as one Body: Yours. AMEN

Submitted by a friend in Connecticut.