Nov 26th, 2020: Being There for Those Who Are Hurting

What It Means To Be There For Someone – Cauldrons and Cupcakes

I met with a young accountant this week for lunch. He wanted to share some of his thoughts about his family, his upbringing, and some of his ideas careerwise. It was exciting and refreshing for me. He then asked me about how to be with those who suffer as he begins to encounter some of these situations personally. He was not just talking about death. He has some friends who are recently going through broken relationships, sickness, loss of employment, and more. It was the dark valley of death in Psalm 23. How can we there for people who are going through such a painful period in their life?


Being present is helpful. We cannot help people by being absent. Facebook and other social media communication won't cut it. We need to have the willingness to be there and to listen. Don't try to understand because sometimes we don't. Listening without judgment is how we show our compassion. Being present also reveals our commitment to care for people. Covid-19 has presented some serious challenges because we cannot always be present physically. Maybe we need to be more intentional about phone calls. Somehow hearing a caring voice is comforting to those who suffer.


Being aware of God's love for these folks is the beginning of our prayers for them. We should never enter the process of being with those who are suffering without acknowledging God's presence as well. As we pray for them, we might gain some insight into their issues with God, life, and themselves. Our prayers are longer about asking God for answers but willingness to partake in their suffering. Being there for people will demand our sacrifices. Then we find ourselves in the position of praying with them and not for them. It is not comfortable because we enter the darkness of where they are so that we can seek the light of God together.


Being with their loved ones is also a way to be there for them. Many people who are going through an incredible loss in their lives find they have no energy left to care for their kids and other members of their families. They feel helpless and are in need to be relieved from such stress. It is how we learn to care for the whole person. Caring for their loved ones is granting them the freedom to seek God more deeply without any distraction. The more we learn how to care for their loved ones, the more we understand how to care for them.


“And whether one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.” - 1 Corinthians 12: 26

Popular posts from this blog

Aug 31st, 2024: Confession

Image
Dealing with pain sometimes affects our ability and flexibility. A physiotherapist friend gave me a set of home exercises to help with that. They are simple yet intense at the same time. Dealing with our human brokenness sometimes affects our ability to see and hear God. Our commitment to spiritual disciplines must be at the core of our relationship with God. One of the disciplines I have been trying to embrace more fully is confession. It’s not just about recognizing where we have gone wrong; it’s about how we have chosen to live our lives independently from God. It’s about whether we truly want God to be part of our lives. The absence of meaningful confession will damage our freedom to experience intimacy with God. "Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy." - Proverbs 28:13
Read more

Sept 4th, 2024: Praying in Images

Image
It has been a rough few days. Living in immense pain does not allow us much energy to think about anything. I ended up praying in images, and not many words came out of my mouth. Most of the images were of people I know. God knew that I was praying for them as their faces came to my mind. I did not need to mention the circumstances or situations of their lives—He knows. My heart was at peace as I ended my days with these images. He will take care of my body, and I know this because I was able to get some sleep. Tomorrow is in His hands.
Read more

Oct 1st, 2022: Be With Those Who Suffer

Image
  Listening to a young woman who shared her experience of being raped repeatedly by a family member for over four years as a teenager made my heart ache. The man who did that was a leader of a church. He was imprisoned for seven months and released. He was her stepfather. Her mother chose to pick him over her after his release. Her life has changed forever. She had to go to a foster home. Her foster parents helped her with her restoration and her faith in God. Her supervisor at work asked me to see her because someone at work was inappropriate toward her. That triggered many emotions within her. I did not expect the story I heard from her. The meeting took longer than I thought, and it was toward the end of the day. She kept talking about her anger and the pain she felt when men treated her like a subject. I knew that the best I could do was to listen. She told me she had not been able to tell anyone as much as with me. God reminded me of the true calling of being a pas...
Read more