That’s how a friend of mine described a recent meal at Cracker Barrel restaurant with her teen-aged granddaughter.
Priscilla’s daughter, who is Hannah’s mother, had just suffered a miscarriage and the family was grieving the loss. So “Fifi” invited her oldest granddaughter out for some breakfast and consolation.
Priscilla and Hannah took their Bibles with them and were quietly reading together at their table. If this seems socially or politically incorrect to you, all I can say is, “Oh, well.”
When one’s heart is broken, being socially or politically correct doesn’t really matter very much. Comfort matters, and for a believer in Jesus Christ, the deepest peace and healing come from God’s Word and His Spirit.
So, there sat Priscilla and Hannah, eating breakfast and seeking solace from each other and from God, who calls Himself the “God of all comfort” (2 Corinthians 1:3). Right there in Cracker Barrel, surrounded by lots of folks who had no idea something rather supernatural was about to occur in that place.
Priscilla said that as they were reading and talking, a burly “motorcycle guy” walked up to their table. Black leather, tattoos, the whole nine yards. I’m pretty sure my friends weren’t initially thinking this would be a good thing … but it sure turned out to be.
The biker dude told Priscilla and Hannah that he noticed they were reading the Bible and he wanted to tell them that he was a Christian, too, and appreciated what they were doing. Of course, they weren’t reading the Bible together to get attention—they were quietly trying to process the pain they were feeling.
Come to think of it, maybe that’s the best kind of “witnessing,” as we evangelicals call communicating our Christian beliefs. Not bludgeoning folks with big religious sticks, but simply and honestly living out our faith so that it is quietly obvious, curious and attractive to others. Believing and demonstrating that the Bible truly is the love letter and lifeline God intended for it to be.
As Priscilla and Hannah continued to talk with the biker, Priscilla asked him if he had known Bruce and Renee Cameron, a local couple who had a wonderful ministry to motorcyclists. The Camerons were in a horrific motorcycle accident last summer. Bruce was killed instantly and Renee died later from her injuries.
The Cameron’s “graduation” to heaven was shocking and difficult for everyone they left behind, but especially for the hundreds of bikers they had counseled and encouraged, including the man talking to my friends in Cracker Barrel. He began sharing with Priscilla and Hannah about his grief and how he had processed it.
He had no way of knowing that his words were exactly what my friends needed to hear that morning. Exactly.
The “God of all comfort” showed up in black leather and tatts. Right there in Cracker Barrel.
God is like that. He often comes in unexpected ways, at unexpected times, wearing unexpected disguises.
It’s easy to miss Him if we try to keep Him in a little-bitty “God box.” If we think God should stay within the walls of a church building, we’ll miss Him when He shows up at Cracker Barrel.
And if we miss Him, we miss all He brings with Him…and what He brings is exactly what we need.
“All praise to the God and Father of our Master, Jesus the Messiah! Father of all mercy! God of all healing counsel! He comes alongside us when we go through hard times, and before you know it, he brings us alongside someone else who is going through hard times so that we can be there for that person just as God was there for us.” — 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 (The Message Bible)