longing for...

My girlfriend is coming into town on friday. It has been difficult not to see her for the past 5 weeks. We talk every day on the phone and we have really grown to appreciate and enjoy one another. I am attracted to her in so many different ways that it is hard not to be around her. Its hard not to have that physical closeness when everything else seems so close (emotional, spiritual, mental, etc...).

This got me thinking about how a long distance intimate relationship is much like our relationship to God. While we participate in a relationship with him right now, it is a long distance one. Sure he is close, but not as close as he will be when the fulfillment of the Kingdom of God is ushered in at Christ's return. Prayer is like good talks on the phone. But it seems to lack that close, one on one conversation type feel to it. Now we see but a poor reflection, then we will see clearly. We Christians are participating in the Kingdom of God on earth right now. But the fullness of the Kingdom is "not yet." So we live in this tension, this paradox.

I often long to see Missy. I can't wait to talk to her each day for sure. But I really have a great desire to see her in person. God is teaching me to long for him like this. To really enjoy the relationship I have with him right now. But to also long for more. He is teaching me what it is to long for the day when Christ returns. Missy is my girlfriend and I miss her greatly. I can't imagine what it would be like to miss my wife. And that is who we are as the church. We are the bride of Christ. We wait in yearning for the day when the fullness of the Kingdom of God will be revealed. We long for the day when there will be no more tears and no more pain. This long distance relationship with God won't be long distance forever. One day we will know him more intimately than we could ever imagine.