Instafriends

This weekend, Will and I had a taste of empty-nesthood. Our three sons were occupied in other locations, and so I planned a fun little overnight adventure for the two of us. On Friday, I left our house at around 4:30 p.m., picked Will up from work and we drove about fifteen minutes to the Brightline station in West Palm Beach. The Brightline is a “higher” speed train that currently runs between West Palm Beach and Miami (it will soon go on to Orlando with plans for future expansion). The vibe is almost European — fun and upscale. The station smells unexpectedly like a fancy hotel — yet it is not expensive.

When we pulled into Miami, just 80 fully relaxed minutes later, we ordered an Uber to get us to our hotel (we used Marriott points to stay for free). Sadly, while we were en route it started pouring down rain. In a stunning turn of events, I had packed an umbrella! We huddled together under it, but because of construction the walk from the drop-off location to the hotel entrance was not short. By the time we entered the building we each had a drenched arm. We quickly used the blow dryer in our room to curb the soggy sleeves, and headed to our dinner reservation right up the road. The rain cleared and we were able to sit outside, staring at the Miami skyline, as planned. The restaurant had been highly recommended and we’ve wanted to go there for a long time. It lived up to the hype on every front. The random fireworks in the distance added to the ambiance.

In the morning we set out to walk and pray, as is often our routine on Saturday mornings. We enjoy walking in new cities and seeing the sights. Brickell Key is a lovely, tiny little island that we circled numerous times. We hit the hotel gym too and ended up meeting a guy who works in professional sports as a team executive. He struck up a conversation with us because of the shirt I was wearing. He quickly realized that we were Christians because of how the conversation unfolded. He said, “I’m a believer too” and gave us his email to pass along to our son, who is a lifelong fan of that team.

The getaway felt almost too good to be true — it was one fun and unexpected blessing after another. But one of the most memorable moments was literally a moment, actually less. As we headed out for our walk, we were on the elevator with a couple, probably a little younger than us, for just a few floors. He was bearded and she was blonde, and they had their luggage and were clearly checking out. We were going from the 19th floor to the 1st, but the couple only rode from the 6th to the 2nd. Will and I had been talking about a book he was reading that morning and how it related to dispensationalism. On the elevator Will happened to say, “I asked Joe about how dispensationalism was different theologically, and he about choked.”

The man then said, “I’m sorry,” smiling with disbelief. “I’m not trying to listen in, but I’m a pastor.”

“What denomination?” Will asked, as the elevator door opened and they made their way off, all four of us visibly amused at the unlikeliness of it all.

“Baptist,” he said. “Well, Reformed Baptist.”

As the elevator door started to close, my funny man called after them, “We’re Presbyterians, so we’ll see you in eternity!”

Do you believe that? Do you believe this couple were our instant friends, in fact our instant brother and instant sister in Christ? That we will laugh in heaven about this 30-second encounter? I do. We did not exchange emails, or even names. We don’t know where they were from or why they were in Miami, but the bond with them is everlasting.

I hope you know exactly what I’m talking about. You may not have had an elevator experience like this. I mean, who has? But I hope there are people in your church or community that you feel bonded to in a supernatural way. You may not have the same interests, you may not be from the same demographics, you may not have much in common at all, but when you are the adopted children of the One True King, the bond is both instantaneous and everlasting. In fact, the more you know about how a fellow believer came to know Jesus, the more you will feel that your hearts are woven together.

Elisabeth Elliot said, “Everything created is connected, for everything is produced by the same mind, the same love, and is dependent on the same Creator.” The more we corporately live into recognizing the truth of this, the more interconnected we feel. Do you ever stop to think that not only are we all made in God’s image, but that the more we live dependently on Him and bask in His love, the stronger the sense of belonging in Christian community?

“Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart and a humble mind.” 1 Peter 3:8

Digging Deeper:

1. When was the last time you felt a meaningful connection with a stranger because of your common faith in Christ? How would you compare that to a secular connection like following the same sports team or reading the same book?

2. Why do you think it is easier to feel tenderness, humility and sympathy with fellow believers?

3. Who do you need to pray will come to know Jesus as Lord and Savior?