Comfort that Connects
“When they heard that the LORD was concerned about the Israelites and that He had looked with compassion on their suffering, then they bowed their heads and worshiped the LORD.”
Think about a time when you were hurting… really hurting. Of all the things that helped, what mattered most? Was it an expert who offered all the right answers to your myriad of questions? Was it the person who talked and talked and talked and… you get it… they just kept talking to silence your silence? Was it the one who emailed articles with information proving all the reasons you got into this mess and all the doom and gloom expected because of it? I could go on and on because the list is endless. And if you are someone who is hurting right now, the last thing you need is a list of 100 things you must do quickly to make everything better in five minutes. That’s a lot of pressure and burdensome.
If you’re like me when I am hurting, I don't get helped much when someone comes across to me as being untouched by my pain while offering pseudo help. That seems more like a shouting stranger when, what my heart needs is someone who cares.
People all around us are reeling from disasters of every kind; natural, relational, spiritual, etc. Here’s some good news though. We were born for such a time as this!
Friends, this is not the hour to be "professional" Christians. This is the moment to extend a hand of comfort that connects with someone's doubts and sorrows, not with pointed accusations... but with presence.