That’s the newest edition to our ever growing family, Leila Grace. She was born just this week and my wife and I could not be more thankful. We truly are grateful to have her in our family and in our lives. I love looking at her, holding her, and getting some sweet cuddle time with her daily. It is a sweet thing to have someone we can hold close and desires the same from us.

However, there are times I would like nothing else than some distance from my baby girl. Most of these times are between the hours of midnight and 4am when she is struggling to sleep and I am exhausted. This is the challenge and tension of relationship: to want to be close to someone without them changing what you do and who you are. I want to be close to Leila until it inconveniences my schedule, my routine, and my life.

This is the challenge and tension of relationships: the desire to be close to someone without them changing what you do and who you are.

While we desire intimacy and closeness, the reality is the closer we allow someone to get to us, the more impact they can have on us. This is why we often prefer to keep people at a distance. This tension we feel in human relationships is often the same challenge we have in our relationship with God. Edward T. Welsh discuss this in his article and video “Why We Sometimes Prefer to Keep God at a Distance“.

https://www.crossway.org/articles/why-we-sometimes-prefer-to-keep-god-at-a-distance/

I don’t know about you, but I can often desire intimacy with God while keeping Him at a distance all at the same time. But thankfully we can know a God – not one that is far off – but one that desires and has drawn near. As always be with the Lord’s people on the Lord’s day.