Okay…slap me with a wet noodle. I didn’t post last Friday. We made a quick trip to Ohio and left Wednesday morning and returned Friday. Rather than throw a devotion together AND try to do it on my phone, I decided not to do anything. But if I was going to post, the following was on my mind.
As followers of Christ we are told to:
Hurt when others hurt.
Cry when others cry.
Laugh when others laugh.
Rejoice when others rejoice.
Love because we are loved.
Show grace because we have been shown grace.
Comfort when others hurt.
The reality is that God often puts us in hard places or takes us through hard moments so that we will be ready when others go through hard moments. When their heart cries out for comfort, we are ready, because our hearts once cried out for comfort.
I think of Mordecai’s words to Esther: “For such a time as this…” And who knows? All the junk we went through; all the pain we experienced; all the tears; were not wasted just on us. Perhaps it was for us to have a heart that hears and listens and responds to another’s heart cry. Lessons learned were never meant to be kept to ourselves. They are sometimes a path for us to guide a fellow struggler. Don’t waste the pain or the lessons by keeping them to yourself.
“Father, may I be open to using my pain and heartache to help someone else experiencing that same difficulty.
I suspect very few make it through life on this earth without experiencing some level of heartache and pain. I know I have… I know there are those I am close to have…
At the time the pain and heartache can feel life ending… No doubt it will be life altering. We have a saying in our home… “The new normal” Reestablishing the base line for what normal is can become a must. Sometimes there is just no going back to the old normal.
–But to not get too far away from the primary topic of your post… Being open to the pain and heartache of others, to lend a listening ear, to offer sound advice (when asked). To cry when others cry, laugh when others laugh… In my mind, that is just part of being human… and even more so when you have given your life to Christ.
Unfortunately, Ryan, we live a cold world sometimes that doesn’t want to take the time to feel or care. As a follower of Christ I feel I must, even when I don’t feel like it.
I definitely don’t disagree with you. I think you are correct… The world (and too often Christians) do not take the time to feel or care. Been there, done that, have the T-shirt… should probably burn the T-shirt.
I have tried to burn my t-shirt long ago. It still hangs in tatters somewhere and haunts me from time to time.
I believe we do go through tough and trying times just so we can be empathetic toward others when they are suffering, and offer comfort. It does make our painful experiences seem much more worthwhile.
Blessings, Bill!
My point exactly Martha. Thanks for the input.