God in the gaps

“… nothing can make up for the absence of someone whom we love, and it would be wrong to try to find a substitute; we must simply hold out and see it through. That sounds very hard at first, but at the same time it is a great consolation, for the gap, as long as it remains unfilled, preserves the bonds between us. It is nonsense to say that God fills the gap; he doesn’t fill it, but on the contrary, he keeps it empty and so helps us to keep alive our former communion with each other, even at the cost of pain.”
—
Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Christmas Eve 1943, writing from prison to his fiancee and best friend


I suppose it is a little strange of me to post a quote like this when I still have 3 days left with my better half until I have to go back to California for school. I saw this on a friend's blog though and it struck a chord with me. The gap that exists between two people sharing and cultivating a relationship from far away does not magically dissipate with the knowledge that Christ binds our hearts together. Instead the magnitude of that distance is always felt, as if God keeps it in place to leave room for certain things to develop and be shared that otherwise couldn't be. Either way, the ebb and flow of spending time with the one you love and then being away from them again keeps the soul stirring if nothing else...a reminder that each moment is precious...and each moment a sign of God's desire for us to experience Him in each other...I take the time to see these fragile and beautiful realities when I know what it is like to experience the aforementioned "gap". It is the season of rebirth and as the ever-familiar lonely feeling begins its attempt to take up residence in my heart I look to God for peace...for patience...for trust and understanding ...for enthusiasm and diligence....in thanksgiving of the gift. Because while I know that He does not in fact fill the gap I do know that
....caminamos en la luz de Dios! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_am5crjgCCE&feature=youtube_gdata_player