We were at a restaurant enjoying a beautiful party (to celebrating the pending nuptials of our mutual friends) when my friend (we’ll call her Cari) and her husband had a loud, half-drunken blowout in front of astonished—and rubbernecking—party-goers.
The heated exchange only lasted a few minutes before Cari stormed away and barricaded herself in the women’s bathroom—the one place she knew her husband wouldn’t follow. As soon as she crossed the threshold of the ladies boudoir, she melted into a puddle.
All of our girlfriends huddled around her clucking away, doing what we thought was best to be supportive. But one-by-one the drama of it all either exhausted them or they realized the need to be present at the party to keep up appearances.
Finally it was down to just three of us. Cari recounted how she and her husband had been having marital problems for a while. This public scene was not a one-off, but a symptom of a massive feud that was tearing their marriage apart.
Now, to give a little background, I had only recently surrendered my life to Christ. Or maybe re-surrendered it. The lines are a little fuzzy, but I had at very least been living for myself for a number years. Still, I knew that Christ was powerful. I knew he could transform lives in a second (because He had so recently done it with mine), but I wasn’t equipped with any answers to help Cari’s situation. Still single at the time, I knew nothing about marriage and frankly very little about gospel truth. Jesus loves me this I know… but that’s really about all I know.
So I stood in that bathroom crying with her, praying with her, and begging for God’s help. Then, convinced I had sufficiently prayed the Holy Spirit into the place, I exclaimed,
WHY doesn’t He just SHOW UP??
and whipped around expecting, I guess, for Him to physically manifest Himself.
But there was no one.
Just a mirror reflecting stumbling, bumbling old me—completely useless other than to keep my arms around Cari and wipe her tears. But I knew the Bible says where two or more are gathered He is there. Well we had surpassed that quota with THREE, so what was the deal? Why didn’t I feel anything?
It’s been a few years now and I’d forgotten about that night for the most part. Except that I cringed at my crazy “Where is He??” outburst. My two girlfriends saw me twist around with such conviction I must have looked like a crazy person.
But something hit me profoundly today. Turns out, God absolutely answered my question that night and it was so obvious I can’t believe I missed it. When I looked over my shoulder to find Him, He was right there all along—reflecting right back at me—blue eyes bloodshot with tears.
God, in his providence, had provided a mirror.
It turns out that we really are the body of Christ. It’s not just a fun analogy to rally “Team Jesus” unity. When our arms wrap around a friend in tears, they are His. When our hearts break over their pain, His is breaking too. God knew we needed a person to relate to, so he sent Jesus. When Jesus ascended, he commissioned us to continue to love on each other. And that day at Pentecost, God took up his dwelling place in his kids.
What a privileged we have to be Jesus to one another!
That day in the bathroom I didn’t have the answers, but I did get an answer...when God decided to show up in me.
