I don’t know about you, but it seems every way I turn I hear bad news.  There are so many loses in so many friend’s lives.  Unexpected sickness and death, the loss of broken relationships, and emotional pain for all sorts of reasons, is running rampant.  If I am not careful, I can become disillusioned and discouraged.  We must remember that we do not see the whole story here on earth.  God has promised to use absolutely everything that we experience in our lives for good.  But that does not mean that Jesus doesn’t hurt with us when horrible circumstances pierce our hearts.  We are not only his child whom he loves deeply, but he also actually lives inside of us.  He feels what we feel.

God has made it clear in his word, that in this world there will be trouble.  But he quickly tells us to “Take heart, because he has overcome the world.”  (John 16:33). Therefore, the only way I can get off of the downward spiral is to place my eyes back on Jesus.  As I look deeply into his eyes, I tell him exactly how I feel about my pain.  He welcomes our honest dialogue and does not judge us.  He wants us to share our intense feelings.  We cannot have intimacy in a relationship without honesty.  He is the healthy parent that will hold us as we process our pain.  He will then begin a healing process, that will include his hand in our hand, every step of the way.  Healing takes time.  Rarely does someone overcome a sickness or a surgery in a few days.  We need care and rest as we heal. So, if you are one of the ones that is hurting today, give yourself some grace.  Love on yourself, and take care of you.  Realize that you need time to heal.  And allow your friends to walk with you on your journey.  We need one another, and community is the only place we can properly heal.  Find that person that you can share your heart with.

For the people not presently experiencing emotional pain; we must keep our eyes and ears open to those around us who might be hurting.  We don’t have to have all of the answers.  We only need to be a listening ear and a presence in our friend’s lives.  Ask Jesus to comfort your friend through you.  He knows exactly what to say and when to say it.  He also knows when to just sit in silence with them or take them out for a nice meal.  Now, like never before, we need to be our brother’s keeper.  The church is the feet and hands of Jesus, and the church is the entire body of Christ all around the world.  If you are a Christ follower, you are the church.  We will find great fulfillment in being who we were created to be and choosing to act consistently with our true identity.