Separation is Painful

When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.  (John 14:3)

   One of the most agonizing and painful experiences in a person's life is separation.  

   When I was a kid growing up I had a cocker spaniel named Captain Midnight.  She was my closest companion and best friend.  She cried when I left for school, and licked me to death when I came home.  One day when I came home Captain Midnight was no where to be found.  I searched and called throughout the neighborhood, but no one had seen her.  I was devastated.  I felt as if my little world had suddenly been turned upside down.  Who would play with me now?

   This must have been how Jesus' disciples felt as they watched him ascend up to heaven on the Day of Pentecost.  How would they survive without him?  Who would meet their needs now?  Did they, like many people, feel abandoned, hopeless, forlorn, and lonely without his presence?  I believe they felt must like I did at the loss of my best friend.

   Separation from the ones you love won't eliminate the longing for their presence, but that emptiness can be filled with God's promise that one day you will be reunited with them for all eternity.  In the meantime, let's get on about the business of living and serving.