Don't Protect Me

 

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.