Supporting Others

Watching my family over the past months has been a learning process, one that leads me to share with others. When tragedy hits someone, many lives are affected. As everyone struggles with all the questions and emotions, tension can grow among those who would ordinarily be leaning on each other.

Those outside the immediate circle don’t know what to do or to say, so they do and say nothing. Please, reach out to everyone in the family. Give them the opportunity to share with someone who is not emotionally attached to the situation. Let them know that though you may not understand what they are feeling or experiencing, that you care about them. Doing nothing can hurt more than accidentally saying the wrong thing.

I’ve had two nieces struggle with serious health issues over the past few months. There were similarities and differences in how the two families reacted. I’d encourage you to read what one mom wrote about her twelve year old. It might help you understand how you can reach out to people in your life.

And if you think about it, pray for Zoe and for Lydia as they continue their lives with illnesses that will affect them the rest of their lives. And pray for their families. Telling people to lean on God is easy, but doing it when going through a trial can be a different story. They need your support.

(Thanks, Janet, for sharing what you are going through...hopefully it will help others.)