How close are you to people you love? Laurel and I have been married for 29 years. That’s a while. And she and I would both honestly say to you that we’ve had our ups and downs. Some of the best years were when we lived in campus housing, went to school, and worked in the evenings. We…

• Sat in classes together.
• Ate lunch together.
• Worked on projects together.
• Rode motorcycle together.
• Shared notes together.

Those were good years.

When I entered ministry, everything changed. Suddenly…

• I was writing sermons — by myself.
• She was preparing Sunday School lessons — by herself.
• I was doing counseling — by myself.
• She was preparing music — by herself.
• I was making hospital visits — by myself.

And without even seeing it, we were slowly becoming strangers.

When children came along, the distance between us fluctuated. Sometimes we were close. Sometimes we were not. In fact, both of us realized that unless we did something about it, we ran the risk of becoming strangers who lived together.

It was then that Laurel and I decided to make our relationship a priority. We began to set aside time for one another. Once a week we went somewhere where our ministries, our children, and our external demands could not interfere. For a while, that was a coffee shop in Clearfield. She was not allowed to take a book. I was not allowed to take a computer. She was not allowed to take her schedule. I was not allowed to take my PDA.

We have found, in these 29 years, that if we don’t take the initiative to be close, we will not be close.

Today, I want to suggest that the very same thing can happen with you and God.

This podcast helps you see how to stay close to God.

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