A couple took a train trip.

Sitting next to each other in big comfortable brown fabric seats, she looked out the window, while he read his favorite magazine.

Then at one point she said, "Look! That's the most beautiful oak tree I've ever seen!"

Marriage therapists say this is a common case of a 'bid for connection", one partner getting excited about something and wanting to share that feeling with the other partner.

It's at this point when her partner can do one of three things. He can turn away from her, saying something like, "That's nice honey," and keep reading his magazine.

Second, he can turn against her by saying something like, “Trees are stupid, only little kids get excited about them!"

Or he can choose option number three, and turn toward her, by putting down his magazine, looking out the window and sharing her exuberance, saying, "Wow! I've never seen a tree that beautiful either!"

This Sunday, you and I will hear about Jesus calling his disciples, issuing a bid for connection, if you will. Will the disciples turn away? Will they turn against? Or will they turn toward Jesus and his calling?

I think we all know the answer to this, but we can't help but applying this to ourselves, as Jesus calls each one of us, bidding our connection to the Divine.

Whenever we come across these texts, these calling stories in which Jesus issues invitations to would-be followers, we rightly ask ourselves:

How is God bidding connection for you and me?

In what ways do we turn away?

In what ways do we turn against?

And in what ways do we turn toward?

Healthy relationships result when we constantly turn toward our partner, it's the same with our spiritual lives, as Jesus asks us to turn toward him, how might we do that today and in the week ahead?