Another crazy weeknight happened at our house. I received a frantic phone call from a new but good friend. I heard an argument escalating as though she wasn’t on the phone. Shocking things came through the receiver, and then the line disconnected. I immediately told my husband that our friends, a married couple, needed our help.
My husband rushed to their home as I made sure our two teenagers had things under control for their sisters. I wasn’t far behind him. When we reached our friend’s house, we found ourselves playing the role of marriage counselors.
Our friends have three beautiful children under the age of five. Sadly, they don’t have much outside help. It’s no surprise that the lack of support leads to exhaustion, which takes a brutal toll on their marriage. They reached out to us in a time of need with boldness and urgency. We stayed up late that night, trying to ease the tension between this couple. Eventually, they made peace.
Everything about this phone call and visit made me think of our direct connection to the throne of God. Our new friends called on us because we had been in their shoes. We allowed sin and hardheartedness to end our previous marriages in divorce, but we continue to advocate for all marriages to thrive.
Despite the ugliness of our past, we were the community on which our friends could call. The Bible teaches us to be bold and truthful about our situations and struggles. Jesus wants us to be authentic with each other, leaning on our circle for wisdom and help to get us out of the troubles we often encounter.
I wondered how God feels when we bring the ugly—our horrific sins, gruesome failures, and past horrors. God welcomes our transparency, just as we did with our friends. We must have wide-open arms to receive God’s grace.
Find a circle of believers with whom you no longer must hide. Bring your ugly to Jesus so that He can wash it as white as snow.
Gretchen Martin is a teacher, blog author, and mom living in a small town in North Carolina with her husband and four daughters.