Teamwork

10 Jan

“You and I are a team; there is nothing more important than our friendship.”  ~ Monster’s Inc

Teresa of Avila, that great mystic, is known for having said, “Christ has no body now but yours. No hands, no feet on earth but yours. Yours are the eyes through which he looks compassion on this world. Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good. Yours are the hands through which he blesses all the world. Yours are the hands, yours are the feet, yours are the eyes, you are his body. Christ has no body now on earth but yours.”

I think Teresa would give a nod to today’s quote, especially if it were spoken of in terms of a person and God.  For, indeed, God is an integral part of our team.  Yesterday, today, and every day, God and I, God and you, are a team.  There truly is nothing more important than that friendship.

Friendship with God is crucial.  It provides many of the same things as any friendship with another person can do.  It gives us solace when we are distraught, direction when we are lost, comfort when we are needy, and a sense of rootedness.  Anchoring ourselves in a relationship with God is a very good thing.  It can and will help us weather any storm.

One of the things that dismays and disturbs me is the apparent lack of ability on many people’s part to be able to see their relationship with Jesus as a true, substantial relationship.  They think that, since they cannot see Him, their friendship is made up or one-sided.  That is far from the truth.  God is real divinity.  Jesus is a real person.  When we have a friendship with Him, we do not have a friendship with air or with smoke and mirrors.  No.  We have a friendship with a living, breathing being.

Oh, sure, we may not be able to see Him face to face as we can with other friends.  But we experience Him and see Him in those around us.  If we listen closely, we will hear Him speaking to our hearts.

Our friend has asked us to continue His work here on earth.  He gave us that great commission when He ascended to heaven.  His job here on earth is now our job.  Friendship with Him is the most important thing for us.  If we truly believe that, we will have no qualms at all about becoming His hands, His feet, His eyes, His body.  Doing so, our friendship will become more solid day by day.

FAITH ACTION:  Be the hands and feet of Christ this day in all that you say and do.