Sometimes, when a person of strength experience hardship and grief, people have a tendency to minimize the degree of their pain. It’s easy to do because that person doesn’t necessarily have a defeated or broken countenance. Often times, the burden of influence forces them to put on their poker face. And the call of duty urges them to be strong, even when they are at their weakest. But the reality is, the strength that they try to muster up for spectators for the sake of ministry, can’t even be tapped into for themselves. You may see strength. But their reality is far from it.
Stay mindful that a book, a chapter and a verse won’t always pick a person up when they are at their lowest. They need your prayers. They need your support. They need you to understand that dealing with some of life’s hurts is like an airplane ride, not helicopter ride. There won’t be an immediate ascend from the bottom to the top. But there will be a need for time and distance in order to gain strength, speed and eventually, flight.
More importantly, learn to meet people where they are, and don’t try to put them where you think or feel they need to be. Afford people a safe place to feel what they need to feel, just the way they feel it, in order to create a safe environment for healing. This is compassion at its best.
“I won’t judge you for being human.” “I encourage you to be real and transparent.” “I will pray for you.” “I don’t know what you feel, but I’m listening.” “I can’t imagine how you feel, but I’m here for you the best way I can”.
If you are the strong one, and you feel no one really knows or understands the depth of your pain, I understand. It probably hurts because it’s suppose to hurt. It’s ok to grieve. You’re human. Know that God can and will be glorified, even thru your tears. Hold on to God, even if you have to cry and crawl trying to. That’s God’s glory; holding onto Him in spite of; holding on even when itn hurts or you don’t you understand.
The bible doesn’t teach that He will not put on us more than we can bare. Sounds good, but it’s not right. If you embrace this as truth (particularly in life’s valleys), you will spend a lifetime trying to tap into your own strength trying to fix your own troubles. Which would/could unknowingly eliminate a sincere pursuit for the intervention of God’s power in your life. But it does teach us that God’s strength is made perfect in our weakness. God will allow us to experience things that are beyond our own strength because He seeks to get glory in/through our lives by being our strength.
I stretch my hands to Thee, oh God. No other help I know. Please be my strength Lord. I can’t do this without You.
*Tressa Jo
BeyondSeeLevel 