Our series in church right now is about suffering. Today's message talked about how people tend to minimize or materialize. Basically, when someone is dealing with a hard time we tend to try to justify why they are experiencing that pain (materialize) or try to tell them it could be worse (minimize).
One of the things I can't stand, is when I open up to someone about my anxiety and they tell me "it's all in my head" or "it could be worse." When I lost Kalee, the hardest thing to hear was "you'll have another one" "it could be worse" or when I got pregnant with Reed, "it's all ok now because you're pregnant again."
All I want sometimes is someone to listen. Someone to tell me that what I experienced with my miscarriage sucked and there really is no explanation for it. And that it's ok that I'll never get over it... that Kalee will forever be apart of me. And that dealing with anxiety does suck, and it's not in my head but it's a real condition that is a struggle to overcome.
Today's message was how, as Christians, we need to "Show up and Shut up." Just be there for someone and listen to them. Don't try to minimize their pain or materialize it. Just listen. I encourage you, if someone you know is suffering, just SHOW UP AND SHUT UP!
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