My sister recently sent me a picture of a “googly eye” that had somehow stuck to her computer’s power cord along with the text “Tell me you’re an early childhood teacher without telling me you’re an early childhood teacher.”

As I sat there and laughed, my husband asked me what was so funny. After explaining, he sat there with a confused look on his face and asked, “What’s a googly eye?”

I guarantee if you ask any early childhood teacher what a googly eye is, they will know exactly what you are talking about. There are just some things you’ll never understand unless you’ve worked with young children. You could read a book about it or listen to others talk about it, but it takes getting into the trenches to really “get it”.

That’s why this section of Hebrews is so beautiful. It assures us that Christ can completely relate to us and what we are going through. “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin.” God gets it!

You and I walk on the same earth as the Son of God did thousands of years ago. His life was filled with the same temptations that you and I face daily. He can sympathize with how hard this life can be.

Jesus didn’t stay on his throne and leave us to figure it out for ourselves. He left his heavenly home and put himself in the trenches, elbow to elbow with his brothers and sisters, to experience this life. And here’s the best part- he did it perfectly! When we fail, we know that his grace covers our sins and his mercy is new each day.

After some of my hardest days of teaching, I found comfort in talking with my coworkers. I was encouraged by their similar experiences they had that day. It felt so good to know that I wasn’t alone.

When we face hard days on this earth, we have a Savior who knows and has experienced the same things. Verse 16 assures us that we can bring them to him. “Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”

So go, run to the One who gets it. Grace and mercy are waiting.