One of my greatest
passions is to grow and see others grow in the area of being WITH someone as
they share a piece of their story, their SELF.
For many it is a risk to talk about the deep things of the heart. What I’m realizing is that every person has a
different definition on what “deep things of the heart” actually are. For one friend it is telling about a struggle
at work and another it is about a struggle in marriage. Truly is there anything like presence? For a few moments that person knows that they matter, they
are important, heard, valued and hopefully leads to an ease in the ache of
loneliness. What a gift to be seen and
to SEE. The power of WITHness
leads to life change.
Think of the people
in your life that just the mere sitting down across from them can trigger tears….tears
because you feel safe and vulnerable and there is no pretense. You need to hang on to this friend, because what
they carry is sacred. What they offer to
you is their very self. Jesus fully
alive in his sons and daughters, loving with no thought of cost or what’s in it
for them. We need more sons and
daughters like this.
I want to call out sons
and daughters who are okay with silence in a group. Sons and daughters who don’t short circuit a
person’s sharing and pain by offering to pray right away……don’t get me wrong.
Prayer is great! Needed! But when it is just a way for you to not feel
uncomfortable with someone’s pain, then I encourage you to get your squirm
under the authority of the Spirit and struggle with staying present. We could learn a lot from our Jewish brothers
and sisters when it comes to pain and grief.
They sit Shiva for 7 days after a loss. Traditionally,
no greetings are exchanged and visitors wait for the mourners to initiate
conversation, or remain silent if the mourners do not do so, out of respect for
their bereavement. They even sit
on the floor near those mourning. There’s
something powerful about being WITH. A few months ago I shared my testimony in
a setting with people that I did not know well.
Afterwards, someone came and knelt down in front of me and proceeded to
ask me questions no one had ever asked.
I was pretty undone internally and was not quite willing to answer. This person’s care and interest was like nothing I had experienced regarding
interest in one particular part of my story. I wish I could go back to that moment. What he offered me was powerful. I'd respond differently. I want to be the type of friend who will kneel down and ask the
question.
When
someone share’s their story do you give them eye contact? Do you look around as they are talking? Do
you ask questions because you are genuinely curious about that image bearer? If you are uncomfortable “going there” then
that’s okay. We all start
somewhere. So here’s to you starting
today or tomorrow. Practice giving of
your presence. 100%. Your relationships
will change and YOU will change. Jesus
is about relationship. Praise God he
doesn’t have an iPhone or TV because that would get on my nerves. On this journey of WITHness alongside
you.
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