“Let’s see how inventive we can be in encouraging love and helping out, not avoiding worshiping together as some do but spurring each other on, especially as we see the big Day approaching.”   (Hebrews 10:24-25-The Message, by Eugene H. Peterson)

 I made a major career change a few years ago by resigning from a job I’d poured my heart and soul into for nearly 10 years. After the general announcement went out among staff and friends, and the flow of cards from my colleagues ceased, I felt the overwhelming silence of ‘WHAT NOW?!’ It was deafening. Few called to see how I was doing with this new change in my life. No one dropped by. Social invitations to work functions stopped arriving–after all, I didn’t work there any more.

I felt sad. Where were all my friends? My colleagues?  A dull ache of loss formed in…