The Lord Watch Between Me and Thee

Today is a bittersweet day for the two of you. Ayla is heading to Pittsburgh for four weeks of job training and Rob is off to Boston for a few days to visit family, so it means a month away from each other. That's the bitter. The sweet, is that you both get to visit family. How grateful we are that my mom and sister extended an invitation for Ayla to spend this time with them. Having never lived near our parents during our entire marriage, Ayla and Anton never got to spend quantity time with their grandparents. They were blessed to have one or two visits a year with them. So to be able to have four weeks to glean all kinds of wisdom and make memories will be such a blessing.

But I think that's the lesson of time together. It's the memories you make. Brad and I have always strived to make every place we live and every moment we can an adventure and sweet memory. Let's face it, you have only one life, so it's important to make the most of every opportunity. And as we age, we realize some of the things we did with such ease and expediency are not so much any more. So really enjoy these young years you have. Make the most of every moment and just breathe in all the Lord has for you that day. And be aware of the souls He has placed in your path every moment.

As for the time apart, well, you both have had several of those moments from the very beginning of your relationship with Ayla in Bar Harbor and Rob in Martha's Vineyard, to Ayla in Sarasota before Rob joined you there last fall, and then Ayla's most recent six weeks in Cleveland. You both know how to handle time apart. I don't know about you both, but for Brad and I it's like our heart is stretched out between two places. We do not like to be apart. And in our engagement we were apart for five months prior to our wedding with only love letters and the occasional very expensive long-distance phone call that lasted just a few minutes for communication. Technology has came a long way since then! In those extended absences for you both, find time to pray together and communicate as often as you can. Both Daddy and I have a stack of love notes we've saved from over the years. It never gets old. Heck, I even keep a message from your Daddy singing "You Are My Sunshine" on my phone perpetually so I can hear his voice anytime I want to hear him.

Save the deep discussions for face-to-face conversations, so you can see each other's body language. Phone conversations eliminate body language, and texts and emails further limit communication taking out intonation and emphasis. It's far too easy to misinterpret communication when it isn't face-to-face. That goes not just for when you are apart for significant periods of time, but for the rest of your lives together. Save important discussions for when you can see each other face-to-face. That way you have each other's complete attention. But you can shoot an "I love you" any time of day in every kind of way. Those three words are probably the most effective and perfectly concise way to communicate without fail and warms the heart every time.

We pray you both enjoy your visits with family, making wonderful memories there. You will certainly have much to share with each other after these adventures! We love you!

Discuss: What ways of communication over long distances do each of you prefer (texts, phone calls, love letters)? Share the high and low of your day.

Prayer: Our Father, thank you for the myriads of ways we can communicate today quickly and more efficiently. We know how important it is to communicate to keep a relationship connected - just as it is important for us to communicate with You on a regular basis. We love you, Father God. Please keep your angel armies around Ayla and Rob and keep them safe while they are apart, one from the other. (Gen. 31:49) In Jesus name, Amen.