Today’s Faith Story is sure to bless your socks (or flip flops) right off your feet. It is from someone who never fails to bless me when I read her writing. Although I have never met Kimberly Henderson in real life, I just know if I did, I’d love her to the moon and back. Her transparent posts are always filled to the brim with life lessons that speak clearly to the heart. I know you are going to be as blessed by Kimberly’s Faith Story as I am.
Do you have a Faith Story you would allow me the privilege of sharing? I would love to. You can read the post guidelines for sharing your story here.
The ‘She Speaks’ conference had drawn to a close. I smiled to myself as I quickly ducked into the restroom, thinking about what an amazing weekend it had been. I was looking forward to the drive home by myself where I could begin to process some of what I had learned and experienced. I didn’t expect that God had one more thing to speak to me…in a public restroom.
I headed for an empty stall, my mind still happily preoccupied. I stepped back out to wash my hands, only to end up a bit flustered. I couldn’t get to the main sinks. There were two sets of legs sticking out from under them! Cleaning ladies doing their job.
Mildly irritated that I couldn’t just wash my hands and go, I looked for another option. The handicap accessible sink was open, so I stepped to the side to wash my hands there. Still confused and curious about why these two ladies were on the bathroom floor blocking the way, I stole a glance at them to see exactly what was up. What I saw just about undid me right then and there.
The sinks in the bathroom had soap-dispensers attached to the countertop next to the sink. These two ladies were under the sinks changing out the soap containers. They were on the BATHROOM floor. This was a very nice and very clean bathroom, but still…a BATHROOM where they had to practically lay down on the floor. Why? So I could be clean.
So I could be clean.
My heart plummeted. Suddenly, I felt very uncomfortable. I wanted to tell them to “get up, get off of the bathroom floor. You don’t have to do that. I don’t want you to do that for me! Please!”
Then other thoughts began to flood my mind…the whole weekend, all that I had gotten to enjoy and take part in…a huge price had been paid that I could be there, that I could be there CLEAN. Heat rushed to my face. I felt God whisper to my heart, “When was the last time you felt uncomfortable, shocked about what my Son did?”
What Jesus did…that I might be clean.
Honestly, it was too much for me to stop and think about at that moment. It overwhelmed me. I mumbled to those sweet ladies, thanking them for what they were doing, telling them what a sweet picture they were of our Jesus. I am sure they thought I was nuts. Then I stepped back out into the hallway, not quite the same as when I first stepped in.
Afterwards, I held onto that moment very lightly, not fully ready to think about it. Not until one night a few weeks after the conference. My husband and I were watching The Count of Monte Cristo. In the movie, the man who plays the Count is the same actor who plays Jesus in The Passion. In both movies, he is viciously whipped.
Later, when Jason and I started to bed, I felt compelled to tell him about the moment in the bathroom. The movie had reminded me of the price that was paid that I might be clean. I could not keep the tears from falling. I finally had to get up and go into the den where I wept alone. I wept for what my Savior did for me. I wept because He was real. He is real. Jesus felt every blow. Jesus suffered great humiliation. Jesus left His heavenly home and came here, to this filthy place…that I might be clean. Jesus, the perfect One, the Holy One…for me…and for you.
After much sobbing, the tears began to subside and I looked down at my hands. Suddenly a thought popped into my head. It was that I had His blood on my hands. That may sound grotesque or strange to you, but to me it was tender. It was as if I had allowed myself to really and truly get close enough to the cross, close enough to what He had done for me, to get His blood on my own hands.
I think we can so easily make the Bible out to just be a book of stories. We can become so familiar with it that we take it all for granted. What happened to me was a reminder I needed. I needed to remember the great and painful lengths that Jesus went to that I might be clean. I needed to feel uncomfortable, shocked that the Lamb without spot would be slain for me.
“For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.” 2 Corinthians 5:21, NLT
I thought I just needed a quick bathroom break that day. God knew I needed a breaking of my heart. A sweet, heartwrenching call to draw close to the cross. How amazing that God can have so much to teach, even in a public restroom. I love Him so.
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Kimberly’s Bio
Kimberly Henderson lives in the upstate of South Carolina with her amazing husband and their three precious daughters. She spends her days taking care of her family, digging in the Word, chatting and praying with friends, writing, and trying to learn to love doing laundry. She also works part-time at her church.
With a background in theater and a degree in Biology and Chemistry, she may sound like an unlikely writer – yet she finds that she has to write. God’s Word burns within her (Jeremiah 20:9) and she cannot keep to herself the hope, healing, and love He has so freely given her. She loves to encourage other women with the Word and by being honest about how she so does not have it all together.
You can visit Kimberly at her blog, A Planting Of The Lord.
