5 November

"Let me state something important. There is never a time during which Jesus is not speaking. Never. There is never a place in which Jesus is not present. Never. There is never a room so dark. . .a lounge so sensual. . . an office so sophisticated. . . that the ever-present, ever-pursuing, relentlessly tender Friend is not there. . .

But never interpret our numbness as his absence. For amidst the fleeting promises of pleasure is the timeless promise of his presence." Max Lucado, Experiencing the Heart of Jesus (2003)

"Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." (Matt 28:20)

"Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." (Heb 13:5)

A Facebook shout-out of one of my friends says, "I am a single wedding photographer." It was followed by a similar thread saying, "I am a single relationship therapist." My friend's shout outs lately have a theme. She would tell of her couple sightings and express her sighs of exasperation over the absence of someone in her life. She even mentioned moving to Alaska. She may be half-kidding. Or it may be the other half of a joke that is half-meant.

The world has its ways of luring us into something we think is our big break and our looming emptiness can drive us away from seeing the real thing. A career opportunity or a promotion, a super sale screaming of 80% discounts, a promising relationship, a simple flattery; things which we would whole-heartedly indulge ourselves to, only later to find out that it is taking too much and it is lessening the time we spend with our loved ones or that it is a want that only filled us temporarily. A time invested on something which gradually wastes away.

Have we ever whole-heartedly indulged ourselves to Jesus? The only one who can save us? The one who says he'll never leave us nor forsake us? The only one who can give us true peace?

But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed. (Luke 5:16)

Jesus made a DELIBERATE EFFORT to spend time with God. "....the Son of God, the sinless Saviour of humankind, thought it worthwhile to clear his calendar to pray." How about us sinners?

Jesus faced with a mulitutude of adulating thousands whom he fed. These were people who looked up to him, regarded him with such respect. But he did not faze. He dismissed the crowd and prayed to the Father. He knows this is all he needs. A time with the Father.

J.B.

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