Too Far Away (10/13/2025)

This past weekend, I was out and about and spied a family with small children. The children were several yards ahead of their parents. And suddenly, I was jettisoned back in time to days when I had 3 children, all a year apart (ages 2, 3, and 4), two hands, and errands to run. And our rule was, “If Mom can’t touch you, you are too far away.”

My rule was based on my fear that if they were too far ahead, I couldn’t protect them, I couldn’t pull them back from the corner when a car was coming right at them. I couldn’t pull them to me if a dog suddenly ran from a yard straight for us. The rule made sense to me. Truth is, it still does. I’m all for teaching my children independence, but at that age it is usually limited to wardrobe and toy selection.

It makes me think of my hope that I never get too far away from the LORD as I strike out on my errands and missions, but heaven knows, I can get a little arrogant in my independence. So many times, the LORD has had to call to me, “Come closer; you are too far away.” St. Paul believed that nothing can separate us from Christ and His unconditional love. I think he was mostly right; I think in our hubris, we can separate ourselves. We can get too far away, too far ahead, too far into ourselves.

As we journey in faith, believing with all our being that nothing external can separate us from the unconditional love of Christ, our savior, and hoping in His promises to us, and fueled by His love in our lives, let us consciously and intentionally stay close, stay in contact, stay connected. Let us put down any temptations to strike out alone – on our own. We are His, we identify ourselves as His, Christians. Doesn’t it make sense that we should always and everywhere be aware of how far we have moved from Him?

Until tomorrow, let us all love well.