Life has
been hectic for us lately, even a bit chaotic. Our family has been going
through some trials. Some of them are big and lots of people know about them.
Some are normal things that everyone faces. Some are things only those involved
know about. Some days it is overwhelming.
But life
goes on, for us, for you, too.
We all have
struggles in life. I know others besides me are going through things. Please don’t
decide to not share with me. Please don’t try to protect me. Please don’t
decide for me what I can handle. Do not choose to not talk to me or share with
me what’s going on in your life because it would be too much for me. Even if I cannot
bring you a meal today, I can pray for you. I care about my friends, family,
and others. Let me care, let me help if I can.
When you
choose not to share with me, then I feel I cannot share with you either. If we
hold ourselves apart in order to not burden each other, we lose our vulnerability.
We lose that sense of true friendship where we can talk about life freely.
When we don’t
share, we also lose our chance to talk about how God is there in the midst of
trials. We miss hearing about His faithfulness, how He is helping us through it,
strengthening us. No matter how much I am hurting, I have stories of God’s
goodness to tell. Let me tell you. Tell me yours so I can be encouraged.
If you don’t
share with me about your life, good or bad, I feel alone. I feel like maybe I can’t
handle things. I feel like I have to just handle it alone because others are
handling their lives. But God made us for community. I need you in my life. We
are stronger together.
When you do
share with me, it distracts me from my own troubles. It gives me something else
to think about. It changes my prayer focus outward to someone else. It keeps me
from getting stuck in my own worries. It helps me to not center just on what I am
feeling. It is good for me to refocus on other things.
I need you
to be my friend, in the hard times and the good times. I want to share in your
joy. I want to share your burdens. I want to encourage you. I want you to
encourage me. We may not solve each other’s problems, but we can listen to each
other. We can be there for each other. We can pray for each other. We can help
each other. This can happen, but only if we choose to be vulnerable, to be real
with each other. Don’t protect me; join me in life.
