My devotion this morning offered this prayer: Dear Father God, open our ears and hearts to know the hurts of others. Give us wisdom to speak and act in helpful ways. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
I like this prayer very much. So much loneliness and sorrow pass nearby us that is not seen or heard by us because of own loneliness and sorrow. So much anxiety and fear pass unnoticed because of our own anxiety and fear. The result is that we feel either that we are in a mess much worse than everybody else and of no concern to anybody else. Or we think we can't help because we don't have our owe act together and so have nothing to offer.
We must understand that our loneliness and sorrow are normal to the human condition as is the tendency to hide our vulnerability from others. We all think at least half the people around us have their acts together. This is unlikely in my experience. God gives us each a basket full of abilities and gifts unique to our purpose in this life and then follows up with just enough in the tragedy and sorrow department to help us develop the other skills and experiences necessary to fulfill our purpose in life.
I don't know how often I have looked back on difficult times in my past and said, "Wow, I could never have understood the pain of this person without judgement and with compassion if I had not had a yucky earlier experience myself." My dearest friend has always amazed me by her capacity to offer validation, comfort and hope with the simple statement, "I hate it when that happens." How many times she has been God's special blessing nudging me gently onto the road to wisdom, healing and renewal with her special heart!
So I hope you pray the prayer offered today: Dear Father God, open our ears and hearts to know the hurts of others. Give us wisdom to speak and act in helpful ways. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
Because, my friend, it is your very brokenness that equips you to share your faith, hope and experience with a weary fellow traveler on the journey of life. (PS - just be gentle, because we are all such tender beings.)
I like this prayer very much. So much loneliness and sorrow pass nearby us that is not seen or heard by us because of own loneliness and sorrow. So much anxiety and fear pass unnoticed because of our own anxiety and fear. The result is that we feel either that we are in a mess much worse than everybody else and of no concern to anybody else. Or we think we can't help because we don't have our owe act together and so have nothing to offer.
We must understand that our loneliness and sorrow are normal to the human condition as is the tendency to hide our vulnerability from others. We all think at least half the people around us have their acts together. This is unlikely in my experience. God gives us each a basket full of abilities and gifts unique to our purpose in this life and then follows up with just enough in the tragedy and sorrow department to help us develop the other skills and experiences necessary to fulfill our purpose in life.
I don't know how often I have looked back on difficult times in my past and said, "Wow, I could never have understood the pain of this person without judgement and with compassion if I had not had a yucky earlier experience myself." My dearest friend has always amazed me by her capacity to offer validation, comfort and hope with the simple statement, "I hate it when that happens." How many times she has been God's special blessing nudging me gently onto the road to wisdom, healing and renewal with her special heart!
So I hope you pray the prayer offered today: Dear Father God, open our ears and hearts to know the hurts of others. Give us wisdom to speak and act in helpful ways. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
Because, my friend, it is your very brokenness that equips you to share your faith, hope and experience with a weary fellow traveler on the journey of life. (PS - just be gentle, because we are all such tender beings.)
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