The Best Way to Help
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A young lady was coming over for lunch and, frankly, I wasn’t looking forward to her coming. I knew she was having serious marital problems and would look to me for help. What could I possibly tell her that would help her?
Then I thought back on my own life. When I was going through a very difficult time, who helped me the most? The persons who gave me answers? No! Often the answers they gave only confused me or condemned me. Persons who helped me the most didn’t say much at all.
Instead they listened attentively, their eyes and facial expressions conveying acceptance. I felt valued by these people. Their affirming message–spoken or unspoken– was: “this is difficult for you, but God is with you. He will see you through it.”
As someone has said, “When we’re going through a hard time, we need comfort more than answers.”
With this in mind, I relaxed about the visit. Yes, my young friend needed to talk and I listened. Then we prayed together. Following that, we played a game by the fire place which evoked a lot of laughter. When my friend left we both agreed, we’d had a lot of fun.
Father, I want to be sensitive to Your Holy Spirit so that I will listen as You listen and speak as You speak. May Your love flow through me today.
Questions: What keeps you from inviting a hurting friend to your house? How can you walk alongside someone who is hurting?
About this Author: Helen Grace Lescheid
Helen, thank you for this devotional. this isn’t sad when i say this(because I don’t look at it as such) but I don’t have any friends. I have a large family though. as I am retired, i don’t even have acquaintances(co-workers) that I could call a friend.
what I do have is a friend in Jesus. this relationship is slowly evolving, I, getting to know Him, He already knowing me. this relationship of salvation is slowly bringing me out of the solitude that has been all my life. getting back to church and fellowship wasn’t all that easy at first but today, (and it’s been a slow process in these last two years), I’m confident, not shy-shocked if you will, in interacting with fellow Christians. there’s a boldness about that i’v never experienced before in not feeling self doubt. so i’d like to say that what kept ME from inviting my Friend to my heart no longer exists. I believe that the Lord has a plan for me, and as to what it is, I have no idea. all I know is that my old nature is dead, buried and gone and the future involves wondrous things here and an exciting union when I am called to Him.
Since accepting Jesus as my Savior, I have been intertwined with numerous loved ones that have come to me asking for comfort. they saw who I was, they saw who I am today. I give one reason and one reason only–my soul has a new meaning and that is Christ Jesus. I can walk alongside because because I’v walked in their shoes, their pain and felt I had no one that could or would help me. I want to give back, it’s as simple as that. How could I not? the Lord didn’t look at me any differently when we re-united, He didn’t shake His head in disappointment. No. He took me by the hand and said, ”I’m here, and here to stay”. it’s the gratitude and the humbleness that consumes the love I feel for the Lord.
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