Growth

A Cry for Others

Somewhere in most of our childhoods, we have a recollection of a time where we were criticized for being who we are. (For the less fortunate of us, we may have several memories.) For me, this time came when a classmate was hurting, and in comforting them, tears welled up in my own eyes too. I quickly learned that this type of sensitivity wasn’t received well on the playground of life, and that in order to survive the schoolyard jungle, I had to learn to deal with my emotions in a less public, less noticeable way.

Much to my own chagrin, I was very successful at accomplishing this task. However, the older I get, the more I realize the gift that it is to weep and rejoice for others. After all, I’m convinced, that a one sign of maturity is that I cry for others more than I cry for myself. For in doing so, I recognize not only how small my life is, but the greatness in helping others make their life better.  When I’m more concerned about the hungry, then I am about my inconveniences, when my care for the dying supersedes my concerns over traffic, then my life is more reflective of my Savior’s  for He is the One who wept over the city He loved (See Luke 19:41)

May my cries for others always be louder than my own.

How do you rejoice and weap with others?

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Hope

The Prompting of Pain

If we’re honest, most of us spend quite a bit of our lives avoiding pain. Of course, there’s that whole “no pain, no gain” crowd, but really, most of us are striving for comfort over discomfort, peace over chaos. We like our lives to be secure, manageable, and hopefully filled with a little fun every now and then. If we are able to do this, then most would consider our days a success.

However,  the avoidance of pain has some downfalls. Ask a teacher whose student has always been protected by mom and dad and you’ll quickly learn that if we never experience pain, we would never develop into a person capable of dealing with it. Even more aggregious, if we avoid dealing with the painful situations in our lives, we forgo the opportunities they afford us to look forward to the better things ahead. This doesn’t mean we should go searching for painful opportunities; no, we should rejoice in the times of solace and rest that are rarely afforded us. However, it does mean that pain of any kind on this earth should prompt us to look forward to the place where pain is obliterated and Peace reigns (Rev. 21:1-7).  For in doing so, our pain is, in part, used to bring God glory, and we recognize that no earthly pain is greater than His provision for it. Also, as Pslam 23 reveals, it’s in the valleys of shadow and death that God comforts us. When we are hurting, He is near.


May God grant us the fortitude to see pain not only as a trial, but also as an opportunity, and may every moment of life be used to demonstrate how great He is.



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