When I was a freshman in college, I met a group of girls who remain some of my closest friends. Our bond was instant, and it has been lasting. We might not see each other as much as we’d like, but when we do get together, we pick up right where we left off. There’s a connection between all of us that defies distance and time.
About ten years ago, one of those friends experienced a terrible loss. It was a tragedy that compelled the rest of us to travel so we could be with her. All of us spent about five days together around the clock. And when it was time for me to go home to Birmingham, I got in my car, drove about ten miles, and began to cry so hard that I wondered if it might be wise to pull over on the side of the road. I knew that I needed to be with my family—ultimately I wanted to be with them—but after everything my friends and I had been through together (and as sweet as the Lord had been in our midst), I craved the constant comfort and understanding I’d felt when I was with them.
I don’t think it’s unusual to experience something deeply emotional and spiritual and then want to stick close to the folks who walked that road with you. It’s hard to figure out how to transfer something life-altering from a private group where you feel safe and protected to a more public environment where you might feel raw and vulnerable. Sometimes it’s tempting to stay close to the shelter even after the storm has passed.
We see a similar situation in Scripture. In Mark 5, Jesus healed a demon-possessed man. Word spread quickly about what Jesus had done, and when people came to see for themselves, they saw the formerly possessed man “in his right mind” (v. 15). It must have been shocking. When Jesus got ready to leave, the man He had healed begged to go with Him. No doubt he wanted to stay close to his Healer and the safety of that spot.
However, Mark 5:19–20 says that Jesus “did not let him but told him, ‘Go home to your own people and report to them how much the Lord has done for you and how he has had mercy on you.’ So he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him, and they were all amazed.”
What a reminder that is. As miraculous as it can be to see the Lord at work in the middle of difficult circumstances, we can’t camp out in that place indefinitely. We’re meant to keep moving forward, to keep growing in our faith, and to keep sharing what we’ve seen Him do.
Yes, there’s something sweet about a safe place. Those places serve us well in certain seasons. But eventually we’re called back into the real world so we can testify to the Lord’s mercy and faithfulness, and so others will be amazed.
If you or your friends are dealing with something difficult, be brave when you’re in the middle of it and love each other really well. But also be brave enough to share the story after the storm has passed. The Lord’s mercy is enough to carry you through both.
1. Who are the people who become a safe place for you in the middle of something difficult?
2. Think about the way you bond with people when you go through something tough together. Why is it so hard, do you think, to re-enter real life when you’ve been cocooned with certain people or in a certain environment?
3. Jesus isn’t being rude when He tells the man who’s no longer possessed to “go home.” What are a few reasons why going home is the wise thing for the man to do?
4. Why do other people need to hear about the times when the Lord has been merciful to us? Write down the first three or four ideas that come to mind.
Today’s Prayer