1After we had torn ourselves away from them, we put out to sea and sailed straight to Cos. The next day we went to Rhodes and from there to Patara.
Paul is on what he believes will be his final trip to these places where he has preached and people have responded to his message of good news. You can hear the sorrow and loss in the writer’s language. They had torn themselves away from these people. There had been hugging, holding, praying, and crying. They did not want to let Paul and his companions leave. Have you ever had a goodbye when you had to ‘tear’ yourself away? They are trying to get on a boat, and the people keep holding them. Get the picture? Both Paul and his companions get the same treatment. The text says “we.” Their influence has been so profound that leaving was like losing a part of the themselves. They don’t want them to go. I remember when I had to do the leaving and I didn’t want to let go. I held on to some missionaries in a very tearful goodbye. Jesus had used them to change my life, and I didn’t want to move on to the next place. That was 31 years ago. I also remember having to leave places and having the people hold on to me. They wanted me to stay, but I had to leave. They had made a connection to me that was very deep. The Lord often pours Himself into our lives through other people. Sometimes we are the vessel through whom He pours His love. Either way, bonds can be formed with other people that are sometimes even stronger than family bonds. This can be especially true when our families are not believers. Our eternal ties to believers, especially those involved in growth with or through us, these ties can be very strong indeed. I want to encourage you to allow the Lord to work in and through you to build others up in the Faith. It matters little whether you are the one building or being built. In each case strong bonds are formed. These bonds can fill your life with the Lord to such an extent that when you leave you too will feel the “tear.” The tear can be painful, but the value to your life will be immeasurable.
The Arnold Journey 