I Disappeared

I stood right in front of Troy. We had started to engage in a conversation. Then I disappeared.

Not literally. But Troy was so engulfed in the piece of paper taped on the wall eighteen inches over my right shoulder; it was as if I didn’t exist. On it Romans 8:38-39 was printed.

I didn’t immediately realize it but, these Scriptures were piercing his heart. The Bible verse reads: “For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Glancing back at the paper, I instantly understood why I had disappeared. Turning toward Troy, I said, “It’s true.”

Troy’s brain flicked back to the voice in front of him. He responded: “I needed that.”

He needed a fresh reminder of God’s unending love. Alcohol, drugs, unemployment, and despair were weighing on him. Sin and hopelessness were blinding him to God’s goodness.

At times this inner turmoil grips each one of us. Including the Apostle Paul...“For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want...wretched man that I am!”

But even after declaring himself wretched, Paul had the same I-needed-that flash of revelation: “Nothing can separate me from God’s love. Nothing.”

Smiling, Troy left with his message from God. No more words were spoken. None were needed.

Silently praising God, in awe, I had seen His Word at work. And then my own heart received a message. An Old Testament verse: “God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few.”