Eight days later the disciples were together again, and this time Thomas was with them. The doors were locked; but suddenly, as before, Jesus was standing among them. 

"Peace be with you," he said. 

Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here, and look at my hands. Put your hand into the wound in my side. Don't be faithless any longer. Believe!"

John 20:26-27 NLT

It would be just a wee bit unsettling to have Jesus just appear inside a locked room don't you think? 

Imagine being Thomas, so strong in his need to experience Jesus last week, so adamant that he needed to touch the wounds to believe, to believe his friends, and to believe in the resurrection. 

Suddenly, Jesus is just there. 

In the room. 

And he's looking at me. 

Talking to me. 

It's all a bit much...what's he saying "here give me your hand, touch the scars..."

It seemed so outrageous that Jesus could come back from death, and I really needed to see it for myself, and here's Jesus, right here, holding out his hands for me to touch...and I'm just stuck here not moving. 

I can't hold his gaze, and I can't move my hands to touch his...why couldn't I just have believed?

I look up again, expecting fire in Jesus eyes, expecting to see accusation, but all I see is grace.

Time has kind of stood still...Jesus seems in no hurry... something important has shifted inside me and I need to find the words...

"My Lord and my God!" Thomas exclaimed.

John 20:28 NLT

#easter

#shift

#graceinthefaceofdoubt

#peacebewithyou