He Paid Your Way

Recently, I was on the phone with one of my thin place friends discussing a retreat I had spoken at in Hawkins, TX over the holidays.  If you’re not familiar with that term, do google it. I doubt my brief description will do the old Celtic phrase justice. In short, a thin place friend is someone with whom you share an unexplainable spiritual connection. Whenever the two of you talk of Jesus, fresh insights abound until the veil between this realm and the next seems to thin and you feel closer than ever to the realities of heaven. If you don’t have a thin place friend, I pray you find one. I have two. Today’s story is a beautiful illustration of why I hold them dear.

I was telling my friend about a moment I was blessed to witness when she made an observation I hadn’t seen and won’t soon forget. The first night of the retreat, a teary-eyed girl told me in private that she had wanted to attend as soon as heard about the event, but she couldn’t afford the ticket. She was still shocked to be there because an anonymous donor had discovered how much she wanted to attend and covered the cost.

The next day I learned the identity of that donor when she showed up, too. But, here’s the best part. Details aside, I witnessed a moving moment when the one who received the gift met the one who paid for it. As I told my thin place friend how deeply that poignant moment blessed me, she pointed out that one day we’ll be privy to a lot of moments like that one, only they’ll be immeasurably richer.

One day, on the other side, we’ll not only witness a holy meeting between the One who paid the cost and those whose way was paid, we’ll experience for ourselves.

Think about it. I may even get to see your moment. I hope so.