When I was a little girl I used to ride my bike around the neighborhood where we lived. The most fascinating thing for me was a group of houses in what was called a cul-de-sac. I used to love riding around this cul-de-sac, and dreaming about what it would be like if my one set of grandparents lived in one of the houses, my other grandparents in the next house, my aunt and uncle in the next house, and so on. I dreamed of a life where I played with my cousins more often than once or twice a year. While I loved my life with my family, distance was something I grew up loving to hate. My parents weren’t in the military, but they still settled far across the country from their loved ones. It’s only now that I realize how growing up far away from extended family would one day help me adapt to life in the military.

It’s painful to think about all the little events I miss in my family and friends lives. Yet, with each move, it’s amazing how God puts a new friends and “family” in the life of my husband and me. He never fails to provide.

And so, I do everything I can to stay in contact with those I love. Phone calls, emails, snail mail, blogs and Facebook. I do whatever I can to stay in contact. Even at this, at times I’m just plain lonely. At times I wish, once again, that all those I loved lived in a cul-de-sac together. It would be so convenient. But even then, I’m sure I’d have to work on the relationships. There’s nothing like distance to remind me of how much my family and friends truly mean to me.

In Philippians 1 the Apostle Paul was writing to his dear friends at the church of Philippi, although I’m not in prison like Paul, I identify with the words he writes. He, too, had many friends that lived far away. These words he wrote were words of encouragement and love. They’re words that express exactly how I fell about my loved ones. These words also remind me of the importance of prayer. While I can’t always be close to those I care about, I can do a very important thing for them, pray. I encourage you to do the same the next time you feel lonely. Here’s what Paul writes:

“I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart; for whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me. God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus. And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God” (Philippians 1:3-11).