"And remember, I am with you always, even to the end of age."               

Matthew 28:20

Dear People of St. David's,

I pray that you and yours are well. As you read this week's message, Amy and I will be finishing a Western vacation together. It's a trip we've been looking forward to sharing together, as it includes family, a mountain wedding, and some time alone in the wilds of Yellowstone and Montana. I enjoy travel because it broadens one's perspective and can often bring new insights into our lives. Sometimes, I find myself understanding what's most important for me in my life with God and you, when I go away. Maybe it's similar for you.

Travel also makes me think of being distant from the ones I know and love. Physical distance can feel like a barrier; separating us from the ones we love and the ones who love us. Oh, we can talk on the phone or Skype or 'go to meeting', but it's not quite the same as being in the presence of those we care about most. Being with one another brings a physical and spiritual connection that can never quite be duplicated when we are apart one from another.

I wonder if some of Jesus' first followers felt the same way, just before He sent them into the world to share the Gospel and when He ascended into heaven. I imagine their sadness from the coming physical separation weighed heavily on their hearts and sapped the little courage they possessed. I imagine it was heart-breaking to consider what their lives would be like, now that Jesus was going to leave them. And then Jesus makes the promise that He will be with them always, even to the end of the age, erasing any distance they may have feared. He is with them always, just as He promised. He is with you and me, too. For God, distance is no thing. As the Creator and Redeemer of all that is, it makes no difference where we go in our lives, God will be there, too, now and for all time.

So, wherever you are, wherever you travel, however far you may feel from God in your life, remember: He is with you always.