Perusing The Clothes Racks

My first job, when I was sixteen years old, was working in a cheese shop.
The store was one you always saw in the mall.
The employees wore a sleeveless denim dress with a red and white checked shirt underneath.
We all looked the same; the uniform was functional.

My second job, towards the end of high school, was in a children’s clothing store.
This chain of stores no longer exists.
Each store had a large slide and climbing area for the children to play on while their mom shopped.
The children loved to come in to climb and slide.

We were told that the customers will consistently touch the merchandise.
They will browse and see something on the rack and pull it out to inspect it.
They will leave the hanger on the rack and pull the item towards them so that it sticks out.
I thought this was an exaggeration, until I actually saw that it did indeed happen.

Mothers would come in and see a sweater hanging on the rack.
They would pull the sweater out for inspection and leave it askew.
The racks that were nice and neat when we opened, had clothes sticking out here and there.
It did not bother me, but it bothered the manager; it was our job to fix it.

I felt as if I spent my whole work shift fixing hangers and racks of clothes.
I felt as if I no sooner got all the hangers straight, they would get pulled out again.
The success of my job depended on the neatness of the racks of clothing.
It seemed like a losing battle.

I thought of all of this when I was looking for a dress.
I perused the racks of dresses.
I saw a few that caught my eye.
I pulled them out to inspect them without removing the hanger from the rack.

I caught myself.
I adjusted the hanger so it would be in line with the others.
My manager’s voice from all those years ago played in my ears.
They will leave the hanger on the rack and pull the item towards them so that it sticks out.

I was that person.
For old times sake, I straightened the dress.
For the sake of the person who keeps the rack nice and neat, I fixed the hanger.
Someone had the job that I had all those years ago.

I remembered.

Sometimes we just have to touch something.
Sometimes we have to finger it in order to inspect it.
Sometimes looking is not enough.
Sometimes we need to use multiple senses in order to inspect something clearly.

Now Thomas (also known as Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.” A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.”  Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!” Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” (John 20:24-29)

Like the mothers in the clothing store, Thomas needed to touch Jesus’ wounds.
Thomas needed to see for himself in order to believe.
Thomas needed to put his finger where the nails were.
Thomas needed to touch the wounds in order to believe.

Jesus came and stood among the disciples.
Jesus knew about Thomas’ doubts.
Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side.
Stop doubting and believe.

That was enough for Thomas.
Seeing Jesus standing there with His visible wounds was enough.
Thomas stopped doubting.
Thomas worshiped.

My Lord and My God!

All that Thomas intended to do was not necessary when the risen Lord Jesus was before him.
We can assume that Thomas did not even have to put his hands into Jesus’ wounds.
Seeing Jesus standing there was enough.
Jesus was enough.

We are like the mothers who shopped in that clothing store many years ago.
We leave things askew in search of our answers.
We say that we will leave no stone un-turned.
We will investigate so that we can explain all the mysteries.

Faith is not about explaining all the mysteries.
Faith is believing even when things seems askew.
Faith is not relying on our senses.
Faith is relying on God and the truth of His Word.

Jesus is enough.
One day when we see Him face to face, we will not need the answers to our questions.
The things we think are so important now will pale in comparison to the Lord Jesus.
One day our faith will be sight and things will not be askew any longer.