“God showed up when I needed Him”

“I hurt”   “I’m angry”   “I can’t see God right now”  “I’m not sure I want to”

“Right there with ya, we’ll walk through this together”

“I’m a few steps ahead of you”

“I’m a few steps behind”

“God showed up today”

These, in general, are what I see on a few blogs I follow.  There are a few people who are sharing their life’s joys and struggles, and many who are reading along and giving support, agreement, prayers, and above all, love.  Love for a stranger wandering through a wilderness so foreign to them, but others have been there, and Jesus is always there.

Hearts are open, with their vulnerability, their sensitivity, their search for answers…  it’s what Church ought to be…  There are no accusations, no measuring rods, no bullwhips or bullhorns – just empathy, encouragement, a few suggestions of where others found help – one beggar telling another beggar where he found bread – church, online.

When you go to church, do you feel the need to measure up?

…to hide the scrapes and bruises you gained through the week?

…to be the one with the high & holy answers for everyone else’s troubles?

Or, can you come in and say, “I hurt”,

and does someone step up beside you to say,  “We’ll walk through this together”?

When you go to church, do you look around at the other people and start taking notes on your invisible score sheet –

points for looking polished,

negative points for frantically trying to get a grip on their kids,

this one’s talking about a wonderful devotional time,

that one’s gossiping about the usher’s daughter…

Or do you see that visitor, the one in the back corner too withdrawn to even lift their eyes –

Do you dare step over and introduce yourself?

Do you take time to hear their story?

Do you introduce them to someone who understands their situation?

Do you even know your brothers and sisters well enough to make the connection?

Blogs are growing exponentially…people are telling their stories in a medium that’s open to the whole world…hundreds, even thousands, are invited to look into the exposed wounds of grieving hearts…hundreds are responding, connecting, caring, encouraging, praying, loving…

Is your church anything like what these people are finding online?  Shouldn’t it be?

“If We Are The Body, Why aren’t His Hands reaching??”