#TheNarrowRoad : When Jesus Shows Up
And How He Gets There.
When Jesus entered Jerusalem,
the people expected a king on a war horse—bold, loud, victorious. Instead, they got a man on a donkey. Gentle. Humble. Close.
Not what they expected…
But exactly what they needed.
It’s a strange comparison, but this reminds me of Chewy—the pet food company.
Each month, they deliver food right to your door. It's reliable, automatic… until it isn’t.
When a pet passes away, the delivery still comes—reminding someone of the loss they just endured. Pain, showing up in a cardboard box.
But when the person calls to cancel, something beautiful happens. Chewy listens. They grieve with the customer. They refund the purchase. They encourage them to give the food to a shelter. And then—within a few days—they send flowers.
A small act, but it speaks volumes:
We see you. We care. You are not alone.
Statistically, most people eventually get another pet. But they rarely leave Chewy.
Why? Because in their pain, someone showed up.
That’s what Jesus does.
And that’s what He calls us to do.
Whether it’s joy or grief, celebration or sorrow, plenty or poverty—Jesus arrives.
Maybe not how we expect.
But always in the way we need.
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.”
—2 Corinthians 1:3–4
But What Happens When We Don’t Show Up?
What if Chewy just kept sending the food?
No phone call. No flowers. No pause for grief. Just a cold system that ignores the reality of someone's heartbreak.
It wouldn’t just be wasteful.
It would be harmful.
And the same is true for us.
If our churches, our families, our friendships, our movements don’t make room for grief—
If we don’t pause for lament—
If we don’t sit with people long enough to hear the pain behind their silence—
Then we aren’t just being insensitive.
We’re spending energy in the wrong direction.
We’re robbing people emotionally and spiritually.
We’re causing harm where we’ve been called to bring healing.
Grief ignored becomes grief multiplied.
Pain dismissed becomes pain recycled.
But Jesus…
He shows up.
He comforts.
And then—
He sends us.
What Does It Look Like to Show Up?
To truly show up for someone is not about having the right answers—it’s about having the right posture.
It looks like listening instead of talking.
It looks like authenticity instead of performance.
It looks like humility instead of heroics.
It’s being present when there’s nothing to say.
It’s creating space for tears instead of rushing people to triumph.
It’s admitting, “I don’t know what to say—but I’m not going anywhere.”
That’s how comfort shows up.
That’s how Jesus shows up.
And during Holy Week—especially now—we’re reminded:
We are the ones who carry Him.
Just like the donkey carried Christ into Jerusalem, we too are the vehicles Jesus uses today to show up in people’s lives.
Not just for our family and friends,
but for the lonely,
for the overlooked,
for the marginalized,
for the exhausted and the anxious,
for the ones still waiting for the flowers to come.
A Challenge for Holy Week
What would it look like if we became better delivery people?
What if we brought Jesus to the places that are bracing for sorrow or bursting with celebration?
What if we offered words of hope to the one holding back tears?
What if we checked on the neighbor who seems fine but isn’t?
What if we listened more than we spoke, and loved more than we judged?
As we draw near to Easter, may we be the ones who carry the hope of Christ—
delivering faith,
delivering kindness,
delivering love,
delivering Jesus.
Because sometimes He doesn’t arrive on a war horse.
Sometimes He shows up on the back of someone humble enough to carry Him.
And that someone is us.
Let’s pray.
Prayer Prompts:
Thank God for comforting you.
Name your griefs (silently or aloud).
Pray for someone who needs comfort.
Ask God to make you a comforter like Him.
“Lord, thank You for showing up gently and faithfully. Heal what hurts, and help us comfort like You. Make us carriers of Your peace and presence this Holy Week. Let us deliver You well. Amen.”