Long-Distance Relationship

Almost everyone I know has had a long-distance relationship at some point in their lifetime. The best ones strengthen rather than weaken you, either by forcing you and your significant other to rely on alternative forms of communicating and of being in each other's lives, and/or by opening up for you healthy relationships and outlets outside of your love life.

I'm in a long-distance relationship right now, albeit not a romantic one. One of my best friends from college, who since college has been (among other roles) a housemate, prayer partner, and all-around good buddy, is on the mission field, in a part of the world where phone and Internet aren't necessarily available on a daily basis. I miss him dearly, but we've made some semblance of staying in touch via emails: his involving regular group updates plus the occasional message to me when he happens to be in a big city, and mine involving the usual warp and woof of my life, with a particular focus on keeping him up to date on sports in America and Philadelphia.

To be sure, I'd prefer to be able to meet up with him in person or even to hear his voice on the phone. But, like other good long-distance relationships, this season of being physically apart has been good for the both of us and for our friendship. It remains to be seen how long he'll be on the mission field, but in the meantime, I'll keep reading his updates, praying through his requests, and keeping up my running commentary on his favorite sports teams.